Showing posts with label Shakira. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shakira. Show all posts
Everything in my life has brought me to this moment. This is where I belong-Janhvi Kapoor
8:11 AM
Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; July 17, 2018)
She comes from great stock, growing up in a family that’s flourished in Indian cinema for generations. The fact that Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s gorgeous girl Janhvi brings a lot of promise is unquestionable. She has that rawness and spark that’s attractive; and even with all the hoopla around her debut, the girl has her head on her shoulders and her feet firm on the ground. With the whole Kapoor khandaan, along with ardent Sridevi fans rooting for her, you would imagine that this 21-year-old debutante would be a bundle of nerves. But she is evidently not. With her grand launch, Dhadak, starring Ishaan and directed by Shashank Khaitan, coming up for release this week, the poised and pretty Janhvi who is boarding her flight to stardom, tells us that, “Cinema is the only thing that I know and it is the only thing that I’ve been exposed to my whole life.” Open your heart out and welcome her on board…
The spotlight has been on you for a while now; you have been posing for the paps and the camera follows you almost everywhere you go. But with Dhadak, you are engaging with the media for the first time. How has that experience been? Was this also a part of your debut prep?
It has been fun, and during the course of the promotions, sometimes you meet interesting people, and engage in some conversations that make you think. Of course, I don’t think I am very good at all this, and I don’t have much to say at this point beyond telling people to watch my film. If people like my work, then I will earn the right to talk about myself. There was no real prep that I went through to interact with the media. However, I would like to say that I want to portray who I am in front of them. Yes, at times I am not comfortable at media interactions, but it is human to let that show. I am not perfect and I think it is fine being that way. I am trying to be myself and I want to be as real as I can.
Being in the limelight is something you have grown up with, like attending events and parties with your parents (Sridevi and Boney Kapoor). Did that help you ease into this space?
It was about the way we were as a family; Khushi and I would always attend events with mom and dad. If mom was performing or getting an award somewhere, or dad was shooting, we would make it a family affair. I happened to be with my parents on these occasions, hence, I was exposed to the media. People thought that my parents were pushing me into the limelight, but it was nothing like that. If Manish Malhotra was having a fashion show, I just wanted to go and see it. The purpose was just that.
Your understanding of the industry must be deeper and probably more practical and realistic, right? Your mom was a superstar, who had her own fascinating journey and your dad is a producer of high credibility, hence, you have closely seen two different aspects of the film business...
I am very thankful for the environment that I have grown up in and I have so much to learn from it. My mom was such a fine actress and I think my dad is one of the most creative producers. He doesn’t just think business, instead, he works with a lot of heart. Through the years, I have seen the kind of stress and struggle producers have to go through, and it has given me a perspective. It made me understand how to behave and what not to do. There is huge value to being professional in this industry. For me, normal life is talking about cinema and art. Cinema is the only thing that I know and it is the only thing that I have been exposed to my whole life.
I am assuming that cinema was a huge part of conversations at home? Do you all have different tastes in the kind of movies you like to watch as an audience?
As a family, we all have had different tastes in cinema. Mom and Khushi would love watching animated movies all the time. After school, our evenings were always reserved for the three of us to watch movies. We would fight, as I would want to watch some old classic, while Khushi wanted to watch Hollywood movies like Tarzan. I feel like I was born in the wrong era, as I am fascinated with classics, Indian and Hollywood. Some of our Indian classics have such a different charm, they are films, which are progressive and ahead of their times. Recently, I was watching Mr & Mrs 55 (1955) starring Madhubala and Guru Dutt, and in that era, the film talks about feminism. Of course, that apart, I think Madhubala is pure magic, and I am so obsessed with whatever she does that I think I could marry her. Even films like Mother India (1957), Pakeezah (1972) and Chaalbaaz (1989) were ahead of their time. Interestingly, these movies never had the tag of women-centric films, they were just known as good films. I hope we can get to that place in today’s times. As for mom, she has done so many films and she truly admired some great films, but when it came to watching movies, she loved fantasy films, animation and thrillers. In that sense, she was a child at heart.
Did you always aspire to be an actress? In your head, did you often play out that moment of your life when you would see yourself on the big screen?
As a child, I didn’t think of being an actor, even my mom didn’t want me to. However, I think in my head I already thought that I was an actor. In my school days, people would think that I was schizophrenic, because I would make up these wack stories. I remember, calling up my friend and saying that I am a secret agent and that I need to spy on someone in school. They would believe me. Once I told my friends that Shakira has flown down to Mumbai to personally teach me belly dancing, so now, I can teach all of you. My friends’ parents called up mom and asked, ‘You got Shakira down? How is she? That’s so cool, could you send Janhvi home so she can teach my daughter’. My mom would be amused by all my stories. I was like this comedy character at home.
So, tell us about your first shot, and your first day on the set of Dhadak.That moment must have extremely special and unforgettable, right?
On our first day, we shot smaller scenes, but I think that by the time we were there, we were all raring to go. Being in front of the camera was a euphoric feeling. It felt like everything in my life has brought me to this moment. And all that I have done has added up to this. On my first day on the set, I felt… this is where I belong.
Did your mom and dad drop in on the sets often?
They were there on the first day. I was comfortable around everyone; I would only get nervous around mom. So, I told her that I can’t have you around here. Khushi dropped by for two days in Jaipur, and mom came during the shoot of the song Zingaat again. Even Anshula didi came for one day. I wanted to be by myself while shooting for Dhadak. I have been handheld by my family through most things in life, for this one, I wanted to be on my own. This (acting) is the only thing I know how to do without my mom. However, ironic that might sound. The (movie) set life, is the only thing that I don’t associate with her. Yes, I feel closer to her when I am on a film set, but it’s also the place where I feel that I don’t need her to be around.
When you have someone like Karan Johar taking you under his wing and mentoring you, I’m sure that gives you a sense of security and confidence, right?
The thing that I like the most about Karan is that, there is a personal involvement and he makes me feel at home. I know that I can count on him and he has this wonderful ability to make you feel like you are the most important person in the world. Dhadak is the biggest blessing of my life. I am so fortunate to also have Shashank Khaitan as my first director, as he creates such great energy on the set.
Your co-star Ishaan is one film old, but he comes across as super confident. Did he help you ease in to your character?
Well, he is comforting in a lot of ways and he brings such great energy on the set that it feels amazing. Ishaan is so unbelievably talented. I have seen his first film about three-four times and I think it is unheard of for an actor to give such a brilliant performance in his first film.
Earlier I didn’t think much about it, but now, I am being constantly asked about it. I am fully aware that whatever mom has achieved is untouchable. Well, 300 films isn’t a joke. I think each film is a lifetime of experience, so imagine how many lifetimes that is. She has got so much love and given so much back, so I really want to make all her fans happy. I want to make my parents proud and I am also absolutely in love with what I am doing. Acting is not a selfish profession, you can love it as much as you want, but eventually, other people need to love your acting. I just hope that they do. The only thing that I can promise to do is, work honestly and give it all that I have.
In your family, who is the most anxious about your launch?
Mom was very anxious, but papa is very chilled out and so is Arjun bhaiyya. Anshula didi and Khushi are the two people that I go to if I need a reality check or if I need to calm down. They are very honest and blunt, and they tell me things as they are.
Talking about family, it is great to see how the entire family has come together; all of you (Arjun, Anshula, Khushi, dad and you) have become a solid support system for each other.
Touchwood! My family gives me strength and courage. (Pauses)… I get emotional when I talk about them. Khushi and I are very different. I am the kid in our family, and everyone treats her as the more responsible and independent one. I am the one that needs to be babied, and my mom shared that equation with me. She liked to baby me, as she knew that Khushi was too independent. I would tell her… mamma khana chahiye, mamma ni-ni nahin aa rahi hai. I am still like that, and now Khushi and papa have stepped into that role. My whole family has supported me so much; I want to really make them proud.
Justin Bieber, lips don't lie
8:07 AM
Shreyanka Mazumdar (BOMBAY TIMES; May 15, 2017)
Justin Bieber's performance
at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai marked the India leg of his
Purpose World Tour and fetched the state government a cool, though not
unexpected, Rs 3 crore approximately. Around 45,000 Beliebers thronged the
stadium to see the Canadian pop star sing live. But turns out, a huge
section of his fans were disappointed because the show didn't turn out
the way they
expected it to. While concert-goers were looking forward to hearing him
improvise his songs on stage, little did they know Bieber would lip-sync
12 tracks out of his set. The funniest part? The singer didn't even try
to make the put-on act believable. From digs at an unusually long list
of demands (including a chopper and fancy upholstery) to clothes that
looked straight out of a basketball match, fans vented it all on social
media...
MUSICIANS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE CONTROVERSY
BABUL SUPRIYO, Singer
Performing artistes are expected to dance even as they sing. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Usher
are known to do that. But when you go for a concert of Eric Clapton,
Elton John, Adele or Taylor Swift, you know they will only sing as you
watch them perform live. What is important is to know if the performer
is also a good singer. Justin Bieber is a talented singer whose voice is
not computer generated. When it comes to him, one has to first decide
if they want him to sing or perform. Because if you wish to put up a
rocking dance performance, it's not possible to sing all through.
SHANTANU MOITRA, Composer
People were waiting to catch a glimpse of Justin Bieber. Some may vouch never to see him again even though he has promised to be back and for others, it's good enough to have seen him just once. When it comes to ethics, it's just like watching a mimed philharmonic. I fail to understand why an artiste should travel all the way from another country to meet his fans and then sing perhaps just two songs. Having said that, Bieber is a great singer and I couldn't figure out if he was under any compulsion to put up a show like that.
JEET GANNGULI, singer-composer
Artistes lip-sync during televised shows. They do the same for music videos as technically, it's not possible to do both at the same time. But in places where they are connecting with the audience directly, it's not ethical to lip-sync, all the more, when people are paying a hefty amount for the tickets to hear you sing.
ANUPAM ROY, singer-composer
There is no rule in India that defines how a stage act should be conducted. So, anyone wanting to lip-sync can go ahead with it. I don't think even Shakira was singing live on the World Cup stage. The stakes are so high and the investment is so much that no artiste can take the risk to go wrong on a platform like that. Lip-sync, as a trend, has been going on for ages. An artiste can also develop a sore throat and might be unable to sing. It's not possible for him to then cancel the day's show as it involves a lot of artistes and money, too, is a factor.
KAILASH KHER, singer
Mohabbat mein nahin hai fark jeene aur
marne ka ussi ko dekh kar jeete hai jis zalim par dum nikle. Since our
culture is rapidly changing, most continue to look up to the West. When
an artiste is visiting India, he or she already has a perception and
knows they can get away with anything. The audience is to be blamed
equally for this. For an artiste, the stage is the temple and singing,
his religion. So, a basic amount of honesty is needed when one is
performing. Since art is not a medium to con people, it's important to
know if the audience really loves the artiste or his art. India is a
country of Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Bhimsen Joshi, Pt Kumar Gandharva,
Pt Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and other
greats. What are we adding to our culture by bringing Justin Bieber, who
is all but singing? I have travelled the world with Kailasa and our
demands have been bare minimum. All we want to do is to propagate our
music and we do that with great honesty. Ultimately, this is what
matters.
EIGHT INTERNATIONAL LIP-SYNCING SCANDALS IN RECENT PAST
Who: Mariah Carey
When: 2017 New Year's Eve
Who can forget Grammy-winning singer Mariah Carey's major lip-sync fail during the New Year's Eve performance at Times Square in New York? Performing live at the venue, the singer struggled hard to salvage the situation after the wrong song played. She stopped singing abruptly and encouraged the audience to finish off the lyrics to Emotions for her. Carey later described she was 'mortified' and blamed it on an in-ear monitor malfunction.
Who: Beyoncé
When: 2013
Queen Bey lip-synced the national anthem at the inaugural ceremonies for former US president Barack Obama! The live performance of The Star-Spangled Banner at the event was merely a lip-synced run-through of a track she had recorded earlier. However, Carey shut trolls up when she said, “It was about the president and the inauguration, and I wanted to make him and my country proud, so I decided to sing along with my pre-recorded track, which is very common in the music industry.“
Who: Katy Perry
When: 2013
While performing her hit number Roar at the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes, Katy Perry suffered a major lip-sync fail. Her lips couldn't match the track playing in the backdrop, creating a rather long delay.
Who: Chris Brown
When: 2012
R&B star Chris Brown was caught in the middle of a controversy during his dance-heavy performance at the Billboard Music Awards in 2012. While many were of the opinion that with all the dancing Chris does, it isn't really a big deal if he lip-syncs, some were mighty upset. His mime during his Turn Up The Music at the show drew flak from the music industry. Singer Pink tweeted about the incident, saying, “One day if I lip-sync, I hope I do it as well as him.“ Joe Jonas too took to social media to voice his displeasure over the incident. “What happened to people singing live?“ he wrote.
Who: Shakira
When: 2010
The Waka Waka singer was caught lip-syncing during the FIFA World Cup inauguration concert held in South Africa. The pre-recorded track kept playing even before she stepped on to the stage, thus leaving her completely mortified. That the singer was miming to glory was painfully evident. But then again, when Shakira is on stage, you want her to stun and boy, did she stun with her body swaying to music!
Who: Lindsay Lohan
When: 2004
The Mean Girls actress started her career with a lip-syncing scandal. The pop star turned up on the sets of Good Morning America, supposedly and expectedly, to sing live. But Lohan's mouth was not moving because she had forgotten the lyrics to her first single, Rumors. The song was heard in the background. And this was the day her debut album Speak hit the stores!
Who: Britney Spears
When: 2007
At the 2007 VMA, Britney Spears was heavily crticised for lip-syncing. The performance, which was poised as her comeback, was not just evidently lip-synced, but fans were disappointed that she didn't even care to do anything about it. A sparkly black bikini and her blonde locks didn't help her poor performance.
Who: Milli Vanilli
When: 1989
In July 1989, German R&B duo Milli Vanilli lost their Grammy because there was pressure from the American media after a lip-sync scandal involving them. During a live performance in Connecticut, the recording of the song Girl You Know It's True began to fall off-key, repeating the line Girl, you know it's...over and over on the speakers. They put up the pretense for a few more minutes before doing the obvious -running off the stage. With that, the Grammy, too ran away.
WHY DO SINGERS LIP-SYNC AT LIVE CONCERTS?
- Singers often lip-sync because they are not able to reproduce the vocals that were originally on record. Temporary hitches include sore throat, performance pressure and logistics.
- Time constraints is a hindrance as well. A live performance typically takes some time to set up, which includes a thorough soundcheck for all the musical instruments involved. In case the musicians don't have time for this, they take the lip-sync way.
- Sound engineers often add the Midas touch, or as they say in musical terms, autotune, to make a singer's voice flawless. This isn't possible during a live performance.
- Besides, if singers are dancing on stage while singing, they don't get enough time to breathe in between.
- Many singers are really not very good at singing and mostly depend on artificial enhancements that make them sound good in the studio. But performing in front of a live audience? That's a different ball game altogether.
- It gives singers peace of mind knowing that their song will be perfect so they can focus on their performance (audience interaction, dancing and the build-up).
MUSICIANS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE CONTROVERSY
BABUL SUPRIYO, Singer
Performing artistes are expected to dance even as they sing. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Usher
are known to do that. But when you go for a concert of Eric Clapton,
Elton John, Adele or Taylor Swift, you know they will only sing as you
watch them perform live. What is important is to know if the performer
is also a good singer. Justin Bieber is a talented singer whose voice is
not computer generated. When it comes to him, one has to first decide
if they want him to sing or perform. Because if you wish to put up a
rocking dance performance, it's not possible to sing all through. SHANTANU MOITRA, ComposerPeople were waiting to catch a glimpse of Justin Bieber. Some may vouch never to see him again even though he has promised to be back and for others, it's good enough to have seen him just once. When it comes to ethics, it's just like watching a mimed philharmonic. I fail to understand why an artiste should travel all the way from another country to meet his fans and then sing perhaps just two songs. Having said that, Bieber is a great singer and I couldn't figure out if he was under any compulsion to put up a show like that.
JEET GANNGULI, singer-composerArtistes lip-sync during televised shows. They do the same for music videos as technically, it's not possible to do both at the same time. But in places where they are connecting with the audience directly, it's not ethical to lip-sync, all the more, when people are paying a hefty amount for the tickets to hear you sing.
ANUPAM ROY, singer-composerThere is no rule in India that defines how a stage act should be conducted. So, anyone wanting to lip-sync can go ahead with it. I don't think even Shakira was singing live on the World Cup stage. The stakes are so high and the investment is so much that no artiste can take the risk to go wrong on a platform like that. Lip-sync, as a trend, has been going on for ages. An artiste can also develop a sore throat and might be unable to sing. It's not possible for him to then cancel the day's show as it involves a lot of artistes and money, too, is a factor.
KAILASH KHER, singer
Mohabbat mein nahin hai fark jeene aur
marne ka ussi ko dekh kar jeete hai jis zalim par dum nikle. Since our
culture is rapidly changing, most continue to look up to the West. When
an artiste is visiting India, he or she already has a perception and
knows they can get away with anything. The audience is to be blamed
equally for this. For an artiste, the stage is the temple and singing,
his religion. So, a basic amount of honesty is needed when one is
performing. Since art is not a medium to con people, it's important to
know if the audience really loves the artiste or his art. India is a
country of Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Bhimsen Joshi, Pt Kumar Gandharva,
Pt Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and other
greats. What are we adding to our culture by bringing Justin Bieber, who
is all but singing? I have travelled the world with Kailasa and our
demands have been bare minimum. All we want to do is to propagate our
music and we do that with great honesty. Ultimately, this is what
matters.EIGHT INTERNATIONAL LIP-SYNCING SCANDALS IN RECENT PAST
Who: Mariah Carey
When: 2017 New Year's Eve
Who can forget Grammy-winning singer Mariah Carey's major lip-sync fail during the New Year's Eve performance at Times Square in New York? Performing live at the venue, the singer struggled hard to salvage the situation after the wrong song played. She stopped singing abruptly and encouraged the audience to finish off the lyrics to Emotions for her. Carey later described she was 'mortified' and blamed it on an in-ear monitor malfunction.
Who: Beyoncé
When: 2013
Queen Bey lip-synced the national anthem at the inaugural ceremonies for former US president Barack Obama! The live performance of The Star-Spangled Banner at the event was merely a lip-synced run-through of a track she had recorded earlier. However, Carey shut trolls up when she said, “It was about the president and the inauguration, and I wanted to make him and my country proud, so I decided to sing along with my pre-recorded track, which is very common in the music industry.“
Who: Katy Perry
When: 2013
While performing her hit number Roar at the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes, Katy Perry suffered a major lip-sync fail. Her lips couldn't match the track playing in the backdrop, creating a rather long delay.
Who: Chris Brown
When: 2012R&B star Chris Brown was caught in the middle of a controversy during his dance-heavy performance at the Billboard Music Awards in 2012. While many were of the opinion that with all the dancing Chris does, it isn't really a big deal if he lip-syncs, some were mighty upset. His mime during his Turn Up The Music at the show drew flak from the music industry. Singer Pink tweeted about the incident, saying, “One day if I lip-sync, I hope I do it as well as him.“ Joe Jonas too took to social media to voice his displeasure over the incident. “What happened to people singing live?“ he wrote.
Who: Shakira
When: 2010
The Waka Waka singer was caught lip-syncing during the FIFA World Cup inauguration concert held in South Africa. The pre-recorded track kept playing even before she stepped on to the stage, thus leaving her completely mortified. That the singer was miming to glory was painfully evident. But then again, when Shakira is on stage, you want her to stun and boy, did she stun with her body swaying to music!
Who: Lindsay Lohan
When: 2004
The Mean Girls actress started her career with a lip-syncing scandal. The pop star turned up on the sets of Good Morning America, supposedly and expectedly, to sing live. But Lohan's mouth was not moving because she had forgotten the lyrics to her first single, Rumors. The song was heard in the background. And this was the day her debut album Speak hit the stores!
Who: Britney Spears
When: 2007
At the 2007 VMA, Britney Spears was heavily crticised for lip-syncing. The performance, which was poised as her comeback, was not just evidently lip-synced, but fans were disappointed that she didn't even care to do anything about it. A sparkly black bikini and her blonde locks didn't help her poor performance.
Who: Milli Vanilli
When: 1989
In July 1989, German R&B duo Milli Vanilli lost their Grammy because there was pressure from the American media after a lip-sync scandal involving them. During a live performance in Connecticut, the recording of the song Girl You Know It's True began to fall off-key, repeating the line Girl, you know it's...over and over on the speakers. They put up the pretense for a few more minutes before doing the obvious -running off the stage. With that, the Grammy, too ran away.
WHY DO SINGERS LIP-SYNC AT LIVE CONCERTS?
- Singers often lip-sync because they are not able to reproduce the vocals that were originally on record. Temporary hitches include sore throat, performance pressure and logistics.
- Time constraints is a hindrance as well. A live performance typically takes some time to set up, which includes a thorough soundcheck for all the musical instruments involved. In case the musicians don't have time for this, they take the lip-sync way.
- Sound engineers often add the Midas touch, or as they say in musical terms, autotune, to make a singer's voice flawless. This isn't possible during a live performance.
- Besides, if singers are dancing on stage while singing, they don't get enough time to breathe in between.
- Many singers are really not very good at singing and mostly depend on artificial enhancements that make them sound good in the studio. But performing in front of a live audience? That's a different ball game altogether.
- It gives singers peace of mind knowing that their song will be perfect so they can focus on their performance (audience interaction, dancing and the build-up).
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