Fame X Synopsis/Articles: No Comments - Page 11

Dean Palash asked the Academy students to meet him on gala stage. Once gathered, he proceeded to explain stage mannerisms to them, Palash style. He gave them many pointers. He told them how to make use of the mike stand. He told them how to make use of the stage space. He told them how not to be on the stage. Singing a song, he took off his leather jacket and threw it on stage. He explained them not to pick it up during the performance, indeed not to pay any further attention to it. What he was trying to convey was the Rock star attitude. He showed them ten different styles to walk on stage. Never keep your legs together, he advised and never show your back to the audience for more than three seconds. He taught them how to make wide gestures and asked them to stop hiding themselves on stage. He asked Rakesh to demonstrate what he's learned and Rakesh's performance looked really different after absorbing these fundas. He observed that Neeti was gesturing in a boringly conservative style and helped her make it interesting. After a session with the master performer, the students suddenly seemed prepared to take on the world. But Palash wasn't going to let them go that easily. He asked them to get ready for a voting round. Confused by this order, as there are only two contestants this time in the Danger Zone, the students couldn't make up their minds. Dean Palash then explained that he didn't want them to vote for just those two but for everybody. He wanted them each to pick one student they didn't think deserved to be in the Academy at this point. Initially the students were reluctant to name any fellow contestants and tried to find an easy way out by naming themselves as the weakest one. But the Dean saw through this tactic immediately and insisted that they vote truthfully, explaining that this kind of feedback would actually prove helpful in the long run. Neeti and Rehan picked Rakesh for his lack of dancing ability. Banjo picked Ritu for not showing her full potential and Ritu returned the compliment by picking Banjo for not singing well. Rakesh, Ashutosh and Anandrupa all picked Neeti as they felt that even though she was consistent in her performance, she hadn't done anything different and not taken any chances. Dean Palash agreed with their appraisals and released the relieved lot. For the first time in the history of the show, Dean Palash had chosen Star of the week who was in the Danger Zone. It was Ashutosh. Dean wanted to give a gift to this smashing performer. He and Banjo cooked up a plan. They planted Ashu's gift in his cupboard and the Dean, sitting in his room called for Ashu. An unsuspecting Ashu was asked by the Dean to get his jacket. Ashu went to the boys room, lifted the jacket which was lying on the bed and returned to the Dean's room. The Dean then asked him to fetch a shirt, figuring now he will have to open his cupboard. And he did. Only he didn't notice the gift behind all his other stuff and returned once again to the Dean's room. While an astonished Banjo and Rehan kept wondering how Ashu could miss the big bundle of beautifully wrapped paper, the Dean once again made some excuse about changing Ashu's dress style and sent him back to his room. A completely baffled Ashu opened his cupboard for the second time and finally noticed the blue bundle. It was a Saxophone, something Ashu loves to play. The true cause of his forced visits to the cupboard dawned upon him and a very thankful Ashu hugged his beloved Dean with happy gratitude. The Dean called them in the music room to make an announcement. They were supposed to compose a tune, he said, that would reflect the Academy's theme. Just to make it interesting, he would divide them into two groups and the winning tune would be selected to be written and composed by the Dean himself. As the excited students listened eagerly, he told them that they will play the song along with his band 'Euphoria'. And that's exactly how one can describe the student's reactions. They were 'euphoric' on hearing the news and eagerly started working on the tunes.

What did they come up with is something we will see on the next episode.

The six remaining contestants gathered for breakfast. They were missing their fellow contestants who had been voted out. Banjo remembered Adi, Ashu and Sammy, his partners in crime, Rehan remembered Priyanka who wouldn't eat much and Neeti missed Jyotika, who had been her best friend in the academy. Dean Palash, feeling the pulse of the students, called them into the music room. He surprised them by giving them a CD. They were video messages from the ex-Fame X-ians. Trupti, who was the first to go, but perhaps the most talented of them all, urged them not to forget her. Adi remembered the 'shaitani' they used to do as a group. Arunima missed lending a ear to everybody's worries, while Jyotika missed Neeti's ritual morning and evening good luck kiss. Priyanka was worried about who would wash Rakesh's smelly socks. And Alok mimicked Banjo singing paji. Priyanka had sent gifts for everyone. Banjo got a miniature piano, while Rehan got a big thank you note and promise to watch her diet. The boys were playing pool when the girls barged in. They had gone looking for the guys in their room and had found a messy, smelly room. However, their requests to clean up fell on deaf ears. The boys were not willing to do any physical activity. Finally, the girls challenged them to a contest in which they would clean the boy's room and vice versa. The boys gladly accepted the challenge. And so while the girls cleaned the boy's room, the boys relaxed in the girl's already clean room. Then it was time for Sowmya's training session. She advised Rakesh to understand the audience's mentality. Rehan was his usual effortless self. Anandrupa still had not lost her childish accent and Sowmya asked her to correct that. Neeti performed flawlessly and Sowmya didn't have any criticism for her.

Banjo and Ritu are in Danger Zone and one of them will be evicted this Friday.

Fame Kudi Shilpa called both the Danger Zonists for caf round. She asked Palash how they had performed during the audition round. Palash remembered Ritu as a very quiet girl pouting in a corner. But when she started singing, there was a complete transformation. She can be a Diva, he said. Banjo was, of course, noticeable for his girth. What came immediately after was his sense of humour. I kept laughing for the next half an hour, Palash said. In solo performances, Banjo sang Bhige hoth tere beautifully. Judge Daler actually gave him a compliment for his singing. Ritu sang Mera rang de basanti chola in Sonu Nigam style. Clever Ganesh immediately noticed the different singing style and pointed it out, praising Ritu for it. Banjo remembered a prank the Fame X-ians pulled on Ritu. She was a good friend of Ashu. The Fame X-ians pretended that Banjo was upset with this and told Ritu so. And the next few hours poor Ritu was trying to 'manao' Banjo, who smugly enjoyed the attention and revealed the prank only when he had his fill. In the jugalbandi round, Ritu started off with Lambi judai. Banjo returned with Woh lamhe. Ritu sang Ishq kabhi kariyo na and Banjo finished it off with Palash's Aage jane Ram kya hoga. In Mentos-Dimag ki batti jalaye round, Shilpa asked Ritu if she was late for her own concert how she would handle the crowd. In true Diva style, Ritu said that first she would throw flying kisses to them and then floor them with an item number like Bachke tu rehana. Shilpa then asked Banjo what he would do if during riyaaz with paji, khana arrives. Banjo, with mock politeness, answered that with paji's permission he would eat the food as paji's ashirwad. Banjo's motto in life—pehle pet pooja, fir kaam dooja!

In the end, both of them appealed earnestly to the people of India to vote for them. One who stays will get a chance to be the Fame X champion.

Dean Palash called a parent-teacher meeting. He had prepared report cards of the three remaining contestants. He had only praise for Rehan, but felt sometimes he got a little tense on stage. Anandi, he felt, had improved a lot, but she needed to strengthen herself mentally. Neeti was always his favourite student and he told her parents that she had also topped the academy with 89.88 per cent. The students were thrilled by the encouragement, but that didn't mean they were pardoned from their daily training sessions. The morning workouts, riyaaz with panditji et al were done as rigorously as before. But now that the Grand Finale was near, they were also taken to the best professionals in the industry for further grooming. Vikram Phadnis, the industry's top style designer, personally went over their wardrobe and made some great suggestions. He selected new clothes for them that underlined their individual styles. He gave them new hairstyles that truly brought out the X factor in all three of them. With this new avatar, they went to another of the industry's legends. Ace photographer Dubboo Ratnani was to shoot their portfolios. He made sure each knew how to show their best face. The instructions he gave them was a lesson for the contestants, who would soon enter the world of showbiz. Not surprising then that their portfolios came out great. The three remaining finalists made their first public appearance at a children's party. After being cooped up for over two months, they never really had an idea of how famous they had become. Now, for the first time, they were asked autographs and they realised what a fan following they had earned.

One of the three will be the Fame X champion, but all three seem slated for stardom!

Episode 57: A surprise eviction

Fame Kudi Shilpa invited Rakesh and Ritu onto the stage. Their parents joined them. In a video presentation, Rakesh and Ritu talked about their parents. Ritu, who is from a small village, thanked her father for supporting her and her talents in a society where most girls were married early. Rakesh, who had experienced poverty firsthand, said his mother always supported his passion for singing. Even judges Daler and Ganesh reminisced about their early days when their parents did special things for them like making their favourite food or going to temples and praying for them. When Shilpa said that Dean Palash was more like a father to the students, he came on stage and stood between the two contestants to support them in their time of need. Fame Kudi Shilpa finally revealed the name of the winning contestant. Rakesh had won by an overwhelming 71 per cent. That meant Ritu had to leave the academy. Shilpa asked Ritu if she would miss the academy. Ritu broke down and apologised to her father. Her father consoled her by saying he was with her and asked her not to lose courage. Ritu sang Aa bhi jaa as her parting song.

The four remaining contestants will now perform in Monday's gala round.

Episode 55: The tension is building