Fame Gurukul: Contestants, Jury & Hosts!

Age - 23 years

Place - Mumbai
Vitals – Arpita has been single mindedly chasing the goal of becoming a play back singer. For the last year and half she has moved camp to Mumbai from Delhi with her mother. Music runs in her family. Her mother was her first Guru. Her elder sister is a gold medalist with a master's degree in classical music. A trained classical singer Arpita likes to seduce audiences a la Asha Bhosle ishstyle. She enjoys singing all the cabere numbers. One can call her a quick and willing learner who is in search of perfection. She believes in 100% dedication. If the Fame Gurukul has the faculty she has the raw material.

Age - 18 years.

Place – Murshidabad
Vitals– After the Kolkata round of auditions for Fame Gurukul got postponed this young man trekked all the way to Delhi. What if the Kolkata auditions never took place? But Delhi was not to be conquered. Arijit blames it on his choice of song which was heavy on classical. He switched strategies in Kolkata and sang a ghazal and the Sukhvinder hit "Chainya Chainya" and the rest is history. Though Arijit is from a small town in Bengal he does not feel disadvantaged at all. He is full of confidence and rearing to go. He feels his "lagan and riyaz" show through. Pursuing music has never been that easy. His father is a LIC agent and mother is a housewife. Though he comes from a simple background, he has never lacked family support when comes to following his heart. Arijit is a trained classical singer and has performed on stage but his dream is to become a popular singer. His desire to hit the popularity charts has brought him to Fame Gurukul.

Age - 21 years

Place - Kolkata
Vitals – Rooprekha has been pursuing a degree in BSc. but has always been clear from the start that she wants to be a playback singer. She has sung the "la la la" bits, to the antara to a stanza in songs for Bengali films. She has also sung the title song for a Bengali serial. She counts on all the hours she has put into her riyaz and her voice quality. While she can sing all kinds of songs her favourite are romantic numbers. Her parents run a catering business but for this lady it is only singing. She has a keen interest in dancing and has been practicing to make sure her performances are a hit in every way. She has always dreamt of singing in Mumbai and through Fame Gurukul this dream has become a reality

Age - 18 years.

Place - Kolkata
Vitals – From a tender age of nine Kasturi has been learning pure classical music but it was her Guru who encouraged her to venture into singing semi-classical and film songs. Now she sings everything from rock to pop. Every member of her family is a musician, father and brother play the tabla and mother plays the sitar. Kasturi can just sing and dancing is not her forte but she is willing to learn. She has never been exposed to stage performances out side her school. It is her awesome voice that makes her stand out. In fact at the audition round in Kolkata her voice gave way but her earlier performance was of such a high caliber that the judges could not leave her out.

Age - 27 years

Place - Jabalpur
Vitals - It is in her family to work two tracks. Gurpreet has a post graduate degree in science, has taught in a primary school and sings. Her Dad set the trend, a defence guy he has a master's degree in music. In fact he was her first guru. A late bloomer this bookworm only started singing on stage in college. A versatile singer she has a special way with Punjabi songs. In fact this is something she discovered during the audition for Fame Gurukul. Gurpreet is not a full "fledged dancer" she says but knows how to work the audience. For her the rise to fame of Prajakta Shukre another resident of Jabalpur during the Indian Idol is inspiring. Prajakta's senior by ten years Gurpreet now realizes the importance of such a platform. For her coming to Mumbai with a chance to enter the Gurukul is like standing at the door of a whole new world. "I really want to be in the top twelve so that I can learn from professionals from the industry. In a town like Jabalpur there is no scope for this kind of an exposure"

Age - 24 years

Place - Jaipur
Vitals – Her first love was dancing and she has learnt Kathak, but she is also a trained classical singer. This one is multi talented and just needs a stage to set her going. She has given many live shows. She feels that her mast attitude and her ability to involve the audience are her strengths. She loves singing Hindi film and western songs. Deepshika's mother is a teacher so not surprisingly she also has a BSc degree but is disinclined to study further. Always getting praised for her voice quality it has been her dream to become a playback singer. So when she needed to fly to Mumbai for the auditions her mother and farmer farther just bought her a ticket. She appreciates training and is deadly serious when it comes to hard work, so she promises that if she makes it to the top twelve then she will leave no stone unturned to try and reach the very top.

Age - 19 years

Place - New Delhi
Vitals – She is nearly a split personality. On stage she can sing and dance and has done both at competitive level. Off stage she is rather reserved and is a very to the point person. This very to the point attitude is what she brings to singing and feels that there is no substitute for riyaz. She has been learning classical music from the Gandharva School of Music and is certain that it is training that has helped her stand out among the millions who auditioned for Fame Gurukul. When it comes to popular music Lata Mangeshkar is her all time favourite. She comes from a simple family and the word SIMPLE sums it all up. So for a simple person, Mona says to get a platform that is fair and there is healthy competition is an opportunity in itself. Then to further get a chance to train at the Gurukul under celebrities "is a jackpot". Her small family of her Mum and brother are going to support her with all their wishes and love.

Age - 24 years

Place - Mumbai
Vitals – Music has been his way of life. But he has never had any structured training and does not feel disadvantaged because of it. Amit has learnt everything he knows from Hindi film songs. His talent has flourished with the several performances he has given with orchestras. He is an accomplished dancer and that too self taught. He is fun loving and confident. The Gurukul he feels will polish his act.

Age - 24 years

Place - Mumbai
Vitals – He is here for the love of performing, he enjoys being on stage and it's not his style to be nervous. He is out to win hearts as his favourite numbers are all romantic and he believes that a smile can conquer every mountain. If Dad had his way he would be holding a steady job but it was Mum that encouraged him to join an orchestra. Rex has had no formal training in music but his talent gave him a place in the workshop for musicians put together by the employees of the Western Railway. For the last two years he has been doings gigs and has performed with the Jhonny Lever show. Singing apart he loves to party and hang out with friends. For him being in the Fame Gurukul is an opportunity of a life time it could be a rocket jump from small does to the big league.

Age - 26 years

Place – Mumbai
Vitals - Music runs in his blood and he has a strong tradition of folk music. Dad Karsan Sangatia was the one who punctuated the songs of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam with a Gujarati flavour. Kirti has always been close to show biz and has never thought of doing anything but sing. He has been learning classical music and even shares a Guru with the first Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant. He is versatile and original. He is at home on stage and no song is tough for him. But off stage this guy is pulp. Sensitive to the core he just can't bear to hurt anyone. He has been a struggling singer and for him the Fame Gurukul is a short cut to fame and fortune and he means to make the most of this opportunity offered to him.

Age - 25 years

Place – Mumbai
Vitals - You cannot put a good voice down. This is a story of a struggling artist who has been doing all kinds of jobs just to be able to keep singing. He has worked at a call center for 5 years. Basically he is a Delhi boy having graduated from Kirorimal College. Mumbai is his "karam bhumi". He pours six years of classical training into his songs. It is a question of involvement with the song and the audience and Shamit believes in connecting with both. He has been drawn toward Buddhism and does chanting. Singing for him is a brain and soul thing, which brings him happiness. But Buddhism has taught him love for the larger humanity. Fame Gurukul he feels will give him a platform to bring happiness to many more people.

Age - 19 years

Place - Ghaziabad
Vitals – Every step for him is new and full of things to savour and learn. Never been exposed to stage performances he is a fledgling learning to fly. In fact it was at the auditions for Fame Gurukul where he first tested his wings. He has already learnt a few things about what is needed to be a performer – confidence, attitude, showmanship and dancing of course. A trained singer with a BA in music, versatility is Anubhav's strong point. He particularly likes to sing ghazals and old Rafi numbers. With wide eyed wonder he has stepped into the world of Fame Gurkul shedding inhibition and building confidence. For him he sees Fame Gurukul as the road to achieving all his dreams. He has the talent but now it all about how fast he can learn to survive the competition and rigours at the Gurukul.

Age - 19 years

Place – Noida
Vitals – Dhoom dadak songs and fast beats are his style. This young Jat has attitude enough for ten. Deepak wears his identity – stuns you with his Khadi boli. He still has close links with his village in Uttaranchal and goes their frequently. His Dad runs a shop near Delhi but it is Deepak's talent that made him pursue a different calling. Deepak has no formal training; he is just a born performer. Singing apart he also keeps you amused with his funny faces. He is just unique, in the way he stands and the way his expressions change. Even during the auditions our funny man had the judges in splits. He also writes songs as a pass time. Fame Gurukul has opened a whole new world for him with unlimited possibilities. He feels that the training will just make him a better performer and this is the most crucial part of the show.

Age - 19 years

Place - Srinagar
Vitals - Srinagar / mom is a teacher / dad is a lawyer / completed 12 th / acting / stage shows / chacha is a singer / completely attention seeking.

Ila Arun is the undisputed queen of Indian folk-pop music. All her non-film albums have become GOLD or PLATINUM discs. Her music is high on energy, trend setting and most of all original. She was the first to give Rajasthani folk music a trendy image. Who can forget "Mere choli ke peechhe kya hai" from "Khalnayak" and "Moranee bagaa mein bole aadhi raat maa" from "Lamhe". 'Fame Gurukul' is run by this highly acclaimed and celebrated singer. Under her tutelage the students will learn the intricacies of music, dance and performance.

Javed Akhtar is the lyricist, screenplay writer and poet extraordinaire. Every Bollywood landmark has Javed Saheb's name attached to it. Movie after movie - Zanjeer, Deewar, Sholay, Haathi Mere Saathi, Seeta Aur Geeta, he worked with partner Salim to create some truly memorable scripts and songs. He has won the coveted Filmfare Award ten times. He created magic with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Sangam, with Jagjit Singh in Silsilay and more recently with Shankar Mahadevan in Breathless. In 1999, Javed Akhtar was awarded the "Padmashree" for his literary contribution.

Javed Akhtar is the lyricist, screenplay writer and poet extraordinaire. Every Bollywood landmark has Javed Saheb's name attached to it. Movie after movie - Zanjeer, Deewar, Sholay, Haathi Mere Saathi, Seeta Aur Geeta, he worked with partner Salim to create some truly memorable scripts and songs. He has won the coveted Filmfare Award ten times. He created magic with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Sangam, with Jagjit Singh in Silsilay and more recently with Shankar Mahadevan in Breathless. In 1999, Javed Akhtar was awarded the "Padmashree" for his literary contribution.

Krishna Kumar Menon or K.K. as this popular singer is known has worked with all the top most music directors like A R Rahman, Rajesh Roshan, Ismail Darbar and Nadeem-Shravan. His break in Bollywood came with the hit ' Chhod Aaye Hum Vo Galiyaan' from Gulzar's Maachis. But he catapulted into the big league with ' Tadap Tadap' from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. K.K. has also cut the record-breaking album 'Pal'. Before his Bollywood success K.K. worked the ad circuit and has over 3500 jingles to his credit.

Mandira Bedi – is the popular actor, vivacious anchor and cricket diva all rolled into one. She has always created ripples whether it was with her debut as the fire brand Shanti, or the glamorous anchor in the 2003 Cricket World Cup Series. Mandira made her Bollywood debut in Yash Chopra's blockbuster hit Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. She has also charmed theatre audiences with her performances in plays like Anything But Love and Laughing Wild.

Manav Gohil – this dashing, debonair actor has made his mark on Indian television with his good looks and incredible acting talent. This MBA from Baroda has come a long way from training company recruits in the art of selling products to being the latest pin up boy. He has easyed many roles like the heart throb in Kkusum to the happy go lucky inspector in the crack detective team of Sony's CID.