Sonu Nigam goes unrecognised as street musician

May 18, 2016

Mumbai, May 18: Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam, who has been enthralling fans with his melodious voice for over two decades now, slipped into the garb of an aged street performer for a newly released web video.

sonu

The video, titled "The Roadside Ustaad", was released on Culture Machine's digital channel Being Indian on Tuesday. It is an experiment done on the busy streets of Juhu, Mumbai to see how the pedestrians react to the singing of an old man.

"The Roadside Ustaad" captures mixed reactions of commoners ranging from individuals stopping by and enjoying the old man's singing to those who nonchalantly walk away, all of them oblivious to the fact that the old man is Sonu.

Talking about the initiative, Sonu said in a statement: "I went (on to do this video) without any expectations, totally bereft of any awkwardness for the way I was looking and what I was about to subject myself to.

"For the first time, I was not me. The make-up was so good and authentic that people standing so close to me, couldn't recognise."

In the video, he is seen with a harmonium.

He further shared that the musical instrument was the same one that his parents bought when he was born.

"It was all so humbling. And from such an unfamiliar zone, I managed to procure something. Gratitude, grace and appreciation for what we have," he said.

Further talking about the reason behind making this video, Karl Katgara, creative director at Culture Machine, said: "The whole idea behind this experiment was to inspire people to take a moment out of their busy lives and appreciate the beauty of music.

"To do this, who better than Sonu Nigam. He is one of the most sought after singers in the country, and the most recognizable voice. What was interesting to see at the time was, he created the same magic singing, just disguised as an old man, and people could not recognise him at all."

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News Network
July 9,2020

New Delhi, Jul 9: Several Bollywood celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha and Anupam Kher mourned the demise of actor Jagdeep.

The veteran actor, whose real name was Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri, passed away on Wednesday. He was 81.

Anil Kapoor took to Twitter soon after the demise of the 'Sholay' actor and remembered working with him in 'Ek Baar Kaho.'

"Jagdeep Saab was one of the greatest actors of India...I was his huge fan & was lucky enough to have worked with him in Ek Baar Kaho & many more films...he was always extremely supportive & encouraging...sending my heartfelt condolences & prayers to my friend Javed & family," tweeted Kapoor.

Senior actor Anupam Kher also took to Twitter to express grief. He also recalled a conversation that he had with the late actor about how difficult it is to make people laugh.

"Ek Aur sitaara zameen se aasmaan mein jaa pahucha. #Jagdeep saab hindi film jagat ke eik bahut hi behtareen kalakar the. Eik hasya abhineta ke naate unka koi saani nahi tha. Eik party mei bahut saal pehle unhone mujhse kaha tha, "barkhurdaar! hasna aasan hai, hasaana bahut mushki hai," aapki kami bahut khalegi," tweeted Kher.

Shatrughan Sinha penned a long note for the departed actor on Twitter.

"Deepest condolences on the sad demise of veteran actor, comedian par excellence, iconic #Jagdeep. He was a great human being & very down to earth. I was not only his neighbour during my initial years but also bought my first car 'Austin' from him," he wrote.

"I had the privilege of working with him in many films including late & great #HarmeshMalhotra films & of course in #RatanMohan Jaggu. He will be remembered for the joys & laughter he brought on screen effortlessly, right from Hum Panchi ek daal ke to the epic #Sholay, entertaining us for almost 6 decades," he added.

Sinha ended the note by extending condolences to his family.

"We have lost one of the finest comedians....the great 'Sholay' of an actor 'Soorma Bhopali'! You will remembered through your legacy & will be fondly missed too. Heartfelt prayers & strength to his sons, wonder actor @jaavedjaaferi @NavedJafri & family. Rest in peace," tweeted Sinha.

Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh also took to Twitter to condole the demise of the veteran actor.

"Thank you #Jagdeep sahab for enriching our lives with laughter and happiness that will be cherished for a lifetime. Rest In peace Sir. Deepest Condolences to the family, friends and millions of his fans(just like me)," tweeted Riteish.

"Dearest @jaavedjaaferi @NavedJafri_BOO @MeezaanJ am extremely sorry for your loss. May god give you strength in this difficult time. Big hug," he added.

Riteish's wife and 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' actor Genelia tweeted, "RIP Jagdeep Sahab ... Remember shooting with you during Life Partner and cracking up with laughter all through the scene.. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have got that chance to work with you.. All my condolences to the family."

Actor Abhishek Bachchan also took to Twitter to express sorrow.

"May you rest in peace Jagdeep sahab. Thank you for filling our lives with smiles," he tweeted.

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News Network
February 10,2020

Chennai, Feb 10: The Income Tax Department on Monday summoned Tamil actor Vijay over charges of tax evasion and his alleged links with financier Anbu Chezhiyan.

The development comes after the IT Department on Friday carried out a raid at the actor's residence in Panaiyur area in Chennai.

IT sleuths held searches in connection with the success of a recent film which was a Box Office hit, collecting around Rs 300 crore.

As per sources, the IT Department on Thursday recovered Rs 65 crores from the residence of Vijay's alleged financer in Chennai during raids which were carried out in the connection with the tax evasion case linked to AGS Cinemas.

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Agencies
June 7,2020

Washington D.C., Jun 7: South Korean pop band BTS and their record label Big Hit Entertainment have donated USD one million to support Black Lives Matter.

According to Variety, the donation was transferred earlier this week, with Black Lives Matter confirming receipt to the label on Friday.

"Black people all over the world are in pain at this moment from the trauma of centuries of oppression. We are moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives," the outlet quoted Kailee Scales, managing director for Black Lives Matter as saying.

The widely lauded band, earlier on Wednesday, took to Twitter to show their solidarity with the people fighting against the social injustice.

"We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together," the tweet read.

The pledge of the donation from the Korean boy band and its label comes during a time when people and celebrities from the industry have come forward to demonstrate their support for the black community.

Several big names from the music and acting industry also observed 'Blackout Tuesday' earlier the week as a message of solidarity in response o the death of George Floyd, an African-American man in the United States.

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