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Mission Ustaad Information Galore

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Shruti @shruti IF-Veteran Member

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Posted: 16 years ago

Salaam Nasmate Dosto🤗🤗

Welcome to Mission Ustaad Information Galore. Here you will find all the information of regarding the Concept, Host, Judges & Contestant along with other stuff.

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THE SHOW-CONCEPT

Along with the genius musician, music director and singer par excellence, A R Rahman, the mega show will feature writer and poet extraordinaire, Javed Akhtar as a judge and Miss Universe & Bollywood superstar Lara Dutta as celebrity judges. Along with millions of viewers across the length and breadth of India, the three celebrity judges will evaluate the performances of eight of the most talented singers. And together, they will provide engrossing and mass musical entertainment for a cause – to create awareness about the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) across the length and breadth of India.

Eight Singing Stars

The eight singers, who are ready to set the stage a-fire with their performances of original hits and specially created compositions on special themes every week, will perform as pairs, or jodis, in four teams as follows:
• The mellifluous husband-wife jodi of Roop Kumar Rathod & Sunali Rathod
• Earthy genius Kailash Kher and the melodious Mahalaxmi Iyer
• Beautiful actor and gifted singer Vasundhara Das & Mohit Chauhan of Silk Route fame, and
• National award winner Naresh Iyer and young sensation Shweta Pandit.

The Host

The show is hosted by none other than the stunning actor Simone Singh. According to Simone Singh, "Mission Ustaad is a noble cause in fun packaging. I think it will have a wide reach, and if it gets people to think, then we will have gone some way in keeping our promises towards accomplishing the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals. It is a good thing that a channel like 9X, that has mass appeal has associated itself with the cause and mission of the United Nations."

Exciting Show Format

The four pairs, or jodis of singers on Mission Ustaad will sing popular and especially composed songs based on a theme linked to the UN MDGs. Each week, this powerful mix of musical entertainment will be judged by the three superstar judges on the show, along with the viewers. While the television audiences across the nation will be asked to vote for the pair whose song has touched their hearts the most, the judges, after listening to the popular songs and the original composition of each Jodi, will declare what they feel has been the most impactful and touching musical performance of the week. The pair or jodi that gets the maximum number of votes will be crowned Jodi of the Week. The jodi that makes the biggest impact week after week will be proclaimed the Ustaad Jodi. There will be no eliminations. Also, not just the Ustaad Jodi, but all the other pairs too will stand to win prize money that will be contributed to charities that would use the funds to spread awareness about and implement the UN Millennium Development Goals in India. 9X too will contribute all profits from the SMS-es received for Mission Ustaad, to the overall kitty for the purpose. As the jewel in the crown of the series, the best original compositions by the various pairs will be compiled in an album aimed at spreading the message of the UN Millennium Development Goals across India.

PANEL OF JUDGES

A.R. Rahman
	Music Maestro Rahman is a world renowned music composer who also has also sung some of his spectacular compositions. The composer who started his career composing ad jingles got his big break when Mani Ratnam roped him in to compose music for master pieces like Roja, Bombay and Dil Se. The rest is history. Rahman went on to become one of the youngest composers creating block buster songs for some of the biggest and best films- Rangeela, Taal, Lagaan, Rang De Basanti, and winning both critical and commercial success.
His album Vande Matram, that was launched to celebrate 50 years of India's independence, went on to become a smash hit. The Maestro has also composed for some interesting International projects, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bombay Dreams. Commenting on the show, A R Rahman said: "I am delighted to be part of Mission Ustaad on 9X. This is a music centric show with a cause; an entertaining show that talks about significant issues. Many eminent names from the entertainment industry have joined me on the show. I am convinced that Mission Ustaad will touch the hearts of the nation in a very entertaining manner."

Javed Akhtar
	The most well known and successful lyricist in the Indian film industry today, Javed Akhtar needs no introduction. Every big film has to have songs penned by him and no award function is complete without him bagging the award for best lyrics. Javed is also extremely vociferous in expressing his views on political and social issues that concern the citizens of this country. While he has judged the popular reality show 'Indian Idol', this is the first time he will be seen judging a reality show that also has a social mission.
Javed Akhtar stated, "It's great to work with A R Rahman on a platform where entertainment is mixed with a cause. What I like about Mission Ustaad is that despite having scaled the ladder of success, these well known singers have come forward to participate in the show as contestants without any airs about themselves. I wish them good luck -- may thebest pair win!"

Lara Dutta

Commenting on the show and on being a judge, Lara Dutta said, "I have been associated with the UN for quite a while now, and representing them in a big reality show like Mission Ustaad is truly a pleasure. Besides, this also marks my debut on television. I may not be a huge music expert, but with masters like Javed Akhtar and A R Rahman, I am in excellent company. I am excited, and looking forward to the show going on air."

CONTESTANTS WHO WILL COMPETE

1. Shweta Pandit & Naresh Iyer

SHWETA PANDIT

A child prodigy, Shweta Pandit was only 5 when she sang the title track of the hit movie 'Anjali' with music maestro Ilayaraja. Ever since, she has not looked back. After the tremendous success of her song 'You're my love' from 'Partner', this Mumbaichi mulgi will participate in Mission Ustaad on 9X. Shweta has lent her voice to many romantic numbers in blockbusters like 'Mohabbatein', 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', and 'Neal 'N' Nikki', among others.

She has already worked with leading music composers like Jatin-Lalit, Salim-Sulaiman, Shankar Ehsaan, Loy and Rajesh Roshan, and also has music albums like 'Main Zindagi Hoon' and 'Aplam Chaplam' to her credit. All set to rock the floor, this vivacious girl, who is in her early twenties, has teamed up with talented singer Naresh Iyer in the musical mission to touch the nation's heart.

According to Shweta, "It's a wonderful concept and a complete honor to be part of Mission Ustaad. It is a platform where we all unite to create awareness about the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals. I always wanted to do something for the people of our country. To be able to do so with my music and voice is the most unique thing about the entire effort."

NARESH IYER

Born and brought up in Matunga, Mumbai, Naresh was spotted in the reality talent show "Super Singer"' on Television by the famous composer A R Rahman. The 25-year-old sang his way to the 25 final contestants. Naresh was not exactly a newcomer to music; he had sung in almost 500 stage shows with a theatre group called Rangaat Productions. Trained for two years under singers Chintamani Gore and Sushila Mani, Naresh made his mark in Bollywood through 'Rang De Basanti'. He had the whole nation humming to 'Roobaaru' and 'Pathshala'. Naresh has won the Filmfare RD Burman Award in February 2007 and also the National Award in August 2007 for Best Male Singer for - 'Roobaroo' from 'Rang De Basanti'.

Commenting on the show, Naresh stated, "Mission Ustaad is a wonderful platform for doing something nice for your country. And you also become an inspiration to others through the messages you convey through your music."

2.Vasundhara Das & Mohit Chauhan

VASUNDHARA DAS

This bright eyed singer, actress and music video star has been training in Hindustani Classical music since she was six. Vasundhara won many accolades for her song in 'Lagaan', which she sang for the British actress Rachel Shelley. She is also a bit of a linguist and can leave one quite tongue tied with her Spanish. Vasundhara's first celluloid break came with the Tamil film 'Mudhalvan', under the musical baton of A R Rahman.

She voiced sensuous siren Sushmita Sen for 'Shakalaka baby', and the song was a resounding success. Her role opposite veteran actor, Kamal Haasan in 'Hey Ram' drew her to the higher echelons of cinema. She released her first private album, 'Meri Jaan'. The album was an eclectic blend of myriad elements and worked very well for her.

On being a participant Vasundhara said, "Mission Ustaad is a unique concept, blending mass musical entertainment with the worthy cause of spreading the word on the UN's MDGs. It's great to be part of a show that will not only entertain, but also enlighten."

MOHIT CHAUHAN

This mountain boy from Himachal Pradesh is a natural singer and a quick learner too. Mohit, had done his masters in Geology, and was actually studying in Delhi with the ambition of becoming an ad copywriter. But music beckoned as a full time career, and as lead singer of the band 'Silk Route', Mohit shot to fame with the popular song 'Dooba Dooba Rehta Hoon'. This was followed by a series of successful music albums. Mohit has also rendered his voice to the popular song 'Khoon Chala' from the super hit movie 'Rang De Basanti'. Besides singing, Mohit also plays some musical instruments like the guitar and flute. He is an adventure freak and also enjoys cooking. He is on a new mission now! Mohit Chauhan has teamed up with Vasundhara Das.

About the show, Mohit said, "I am delighted that 9X has given an artist like me such a great platform to be able to express my emotions and my concern for the people of India. Mission Ustaad has given me the opportunity to work with some of the best artists of our time -- I'm working with A R Rahman and Javed Akhtar, and am a part of the UN's MDG campaign too."

3. Mahalakshmi Iyer & Kailash Kher

MAHALAXMI IYER

Mahalaxmi hails from a musical family. Her mother is a classical Carnatic music singer. Mahalaxmi made her singing debut with A R Rahman in Mani Ratnam's 'Dil Se'. She sings in more than five regional languages and has taken the playback world by storm! Be it the melodious voice behind Rani Mukherji's 'Chupke Se' in 'Bunty Aur Babli' or Priyanka Chopra's 'Aaj Ki Raat' in 'Don' or 'Bol Na Halke Halke' from 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' in 2007, the versatile

Mahalaxmi Iyer has also been a part of several successful soundtracks such as 'Mission Kashmir', 'Yaadein' and 'Saathiya'. Having worked with some of the biggest music composers like A R Rahman, Anu Malik, Jatin-Lalit and many more, Mahalaxmi, has also rendered her voice for hit films like 'Dhoom 2', 'Salaam Namaste' and 'Fanaa'.

According to her, "Mission Ustaad through 9X has given me an opportunity to address various issues concerning people around us & create awareness on those social issues using music as a medium."

KAILASH KHER

Kailash Kher is one of India's most spectacular singing sensations in the playback world of Bollywood music. Known for his sufiyana style, he shot to fame with the smash hit 'Allah Ke Bande'. He has released two soulful albums with his band 'Kailasaa'. His voice is the kind that touches souls, and evokes undiscovered adrenalin. No wonder they say, 'It's the soul of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the voice of Kailash Kher.' Many of his fans love him because his voice reminds them of the late maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, but Kailash has his own performance style and executes every rendition with inimitable flair. Born in Meerut, he set foot into the world of music at the age of twelve. After he arrived in Mumbai, it didn't take long for Kher to get his first break. His popularity rose by word of mouth, and his performances at Salim Studio won him his first advertising jingle for Nakshatra, followed by several others like Hero Cycles and Chevrolet. It was all the way up from there, and he finally bagged the Bollywood number 'Rabba ishq na hove' from the movie 'Andaaz.' Teamed up with Mahalaxmi Iyer, Kailash Kher is all set to make his debut on television with Mission Ustaad.

Commenting on the show, he said, "I consider this opportunity as a blessing from God. In all the years that I have spent as a professional singer, I have never before seen or experienced this kind of a practical approach that goes beyond materialism."

4. Sunali Rathod & Roop Kumar Rathod

SUNALI RATHOD

Her day begins with jogging at Worli Seaface. She maintains a strict daily routine of riyaaz which explains her sweet voice. No matter how senior or popular the singer is, it is vital to do daily riyaaz, she insists. Meet Sunali Rathod. Married to the extremely talented and supportive playback singer Roop Kumar Rathod, Sunali has also been assisting her husband at concerts and musical events. She has mostly confined herself to singing bhajans, ghazal pieces and folk numbers until recently, when she released her

own album 'This Is Me', which showcases her talent for Indipop. She attributes her relatively easy transition from a ghazal singer to a mainstream pop diva to her riyaaz, which she does several times a day without fail. As a ghazal singer, some of her famous albums include 'Aaghaz', 'Bazm-E-Meer', 'Khushboo' and 'Ishara'. Catch Sunali team up with her real-life partner Roop Kumar Rathod on Mission Ustaad.

Commenting on the show Sunali said, "To me, Mission Ustaad is dil se dilon tak pahuchne ka surila safar."

ROOPKUMAR RATHOD

The son of the classical luminary, the late Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod, who, in his time, also groomed music composer duo Kalyanji Anandji and singer Manhar, Roop Kumar continued his father's legacy and learnt the table, which he began playing with Pankaj Udhas and Anup Jalota. Roop Kumar played the tabla for Shyam Benegal's 'Discovery of India', and also for the various songs sung by Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar. Years ago, singer Sunali heard the ghazal resonate from the corridors of a green room. She was surprised to see that it was Roop Kumar Rathod, then just a tabla player, humming it. She urged him to take to singing and since then there has been no looking back for Rathod. From Sufiyana music to ghazals and romantic songs, Roop has all kinds of songs to his credit. 'Maula Mere' (Anwar), 'Sandese Aate Hai' (Border), 'Tere Liye' (Veer Zaara), 'Zindagi Maut Na Ban Jaaye' (Sarfarosh), 'Khamosh Raat' (Takshak) to name a few.

Commenting on his partnership with his wife, he said, "Aisa Koi Zindagi se wada to nahin tha… Tere bina jeene ka irada to nahin tha!"

UN MILLENIUM GOALS

The United Nations Millennium Campaign:

At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, 189 world leaders signed the Millennium Declaration and made the historic promise of ending world's poverty by the year 2015. They agreed to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)- the eight-point road map with measurable targets and clear deadlines for improving the lives of the world's poorest people. The goals have to be acheieved by 2015. While the poor countries pledged to improve policies and governance, the richer countries pledged to provide the resources. Today, over 1.2 billion people in the world live on less than 1$ a day.

The 8 Millennium Development Goals:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieve universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a global partnership for development

For more info visit : www.endpoverty2015.org

The Role of India:

India plays a vital role in the millennium development campaign since it is the second most populous country in the world and is home to millions of the world's poorest. India in the last decade has shown impressive economic growth, the fastest in the world after China. But even though India has witnessed unprecendented economic prosperity in recent times, its per capita income still remains one of the lowest in the world. The country faces huge inequalities in income. It has a long way to go in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. India is also home to the largest number of malnourished children in the world. So for India it becomes imperative to achieve the UN Millennium Goals and Mission Ustaad contributes greatly in the country's endevour to spread awareness and achieve these goals.

Talking about the UN Millenium goals and Mission Ustaad, Salil Shetty, Director, United Nations Millennium Campaign, added: "If India does not achieve the MDGs by 2015, the world will not achieve them. For the marginalized people of India, the Goals offer a real hope to achieve better education, health and livelihoods. Mission Ustaad will act as a reminder that time is running out."
Commenting further on how the show will help India, Music Maestro A.R. Rahman said: "I am delighted to be part of Mission Ustaad on 9X. I am convinced that the partnership between 9X, the UN and Endemol will bring about the desired awakening among Indian viewers, and Mission Ustaad will touch the hearts of the nation in a very entertaining manner."

INX Network is proud to be associated with the Millennium Development Campaign:

This is the first time in the history of Indian television that the United Nations, Music Maestro A.R. Rahman and International production company Endemol, have partnered with an Indian television channel to offer exhilirating entertainment for a cause. The channel is INX Network's General Entertainment channel 9X and the show is Mission Ustaad. Joining them in this cause will be eight big names from the world of music and entertainment. INX takes great pride in this association and is happy to bring this unique show to the Indian audiences.

Commenting on the association,Indrani Mukerjea, Promoter & Group Executive Director, INX Media, said: "It gives us great pleasure to partner with A.R. Rahman , the United Nations and Endemol India to present this unique show on Indian television. Besides entertaining millions of viewers on 9X, Mission Ustaad will communicate the essence of the Millennium Development Goals across the length and breadth of the country."

YOUR VOTE COUNTS

On Mission Ustaad the 4 Jodis will be judged by 3 celebrity judges, as well as the audiences. While the expert judges give their comments after each performance and select the performance of the week, the audiences too have the power to show who they have chosen as the best Jodi. They can vote for the pair that has communicated the UN message across and truly touched their hearts. The Jodi that leads week after week and wins maximum votes, will in the end be proclaimed the winning or the 'Ustaad Jodi'. There will be no eliminations on the show.

Your Chance to crown the 'Ustaad Jodi':

So here is your chance to vote for the musical duo that has made the greatest impact on you. Vote for your favourite Jodi and see them being crowned the 'Ustaad Jodi' at the end of the show.

How to choose the Jodi that has touched your heart:

Voting lines will open every Friday from 9 pm to Sunday 12 midnight. Voting is only open to viewers in India. You can vote through SMS or through IVR calls.

Through SMS


SMS MU1 to 5664499 to vote for Kailash & Mahalakshmi	SMS MU3 to 5664499 to vote for Naresh & Shweta	SMS MU4 to 5664499 to vote for Roop Kumar & Sunali	SMS MU2 to 5664499 to vote for Mohit & Vasundhara

The price per SMS will be Rs. 3/-. SMS service will be supported by Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance, Idea, Spice & BPL Mobile.

Through IVR Calls

You can also call and cast your vote. If calling from private service providers, call 505664499.
MTNL Mobile & BSNL users call 1255590

Calls cost:

Rs.6/- on Airtel, Vodafone and BPL Mobile.
Rs.6.99/- on Idea
Rs.5/- on MTNL and BSNL Mobiles