Shaan has donned the captain's cap now to battle it out at Star Plus' new music reality show - Music Ka Maha Muquabla. In Kolkata to select his fourth 'Striker', the singer tells India Blooms correspondent Sreya Basu why people no longer wants to listen to a particular singer for long

What is this 'Music Ka Maha Muquabla' all about?
'Music ka Maha Muquabla' is going to be the World Cup' of all music reality shows. We -Himesh Reshammiya, Mika Singh, Mohit Chauhan, Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghosal and me-are the captains of six teams who will compete with each other for the ultimate title.

In each team there will be three singers from popular singing talent hunts, along with a fourth 'striker' selected via auditions.

So, who are the Shaan Strikers?
There is Debojit Saha (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa champion), Anwesha Dutta (Chhote Ustaad runner-up) and Harshit Saxena (Voiceof India finalist). We have picked up two contestants-Nandini Dev and Ravi Trivedi-from Kolkata. They are so good that it was difficult to decide on the spot. So we will hear them again in Mumbai…our fourth striker will be one of them.

What are your chances in this reality show?
Honestly speaking, I think our eastern team is the strongest and the most versatile one among the six on the show. So I can confidently say that our chances are really high (smiles).

What kind of singing will the eastern team showcase on the show?
I don't prefer singing that involves a lot of shouting and loud music. My kind of music is something very aesthetic, original and pleasant to the ears.

We are not seeing Shaan doing a lot of playback singing these days. Any particular reason behind this?
Now-a-days, people get bored of same voice easily. They don't want to listen to the same singer playbacking for twenty films at the same time. So I have become very choosy when it comes to doing playback. I have sung for 'Paa', '3 Idiots', and 'Chance Pe Dance'. But I don't want to get myself involved to monotonous singing.

And what about an album?
I am planning to release an album with my sister Sagarika, on selective works of my father (music composer Manas Mukherjee). Besides, my sister and I have two sons each. So, we want to cut an album featuring all four brothers together sometime in near future.

Any plans to join films?
No…never (laughs). The public response on my acting stint in 'Daman' was so bad that my wife Radhika, who was my fiancé at that time, threatened that if I ever act in a film again, she won't marry me. I am happily married now and will never ever tread in that path (acting) again.

With two kids in the houses, are you planning anything special this Christmas?
Yes. My sister Sagarika is coming from America with her two sons. Plus, I have my two heroes at home. So we will have a blast…it will be a fantabulous family get-together.

Music Directors: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar; Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Kavita Seth, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Clinton Cerejo and Uday Benegal
Rating: ***

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have done it again. The trio, known for their hit and melodious soundtracks in films like "Kal Ho Naa Ho" and "Taare Zameen Par", have composed another interesting music album in "Wake Up Sid", a Karan Johar film that stars Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma.

It has five original numbers and one remix.

"Aaj kal zindagi" is a soft, soothing and inspirational song. It is fantastically crooned by Shankar Mahadevan. The increase in tempo towards the end adds zing to the track.

Next in line is "Iktara", which is the best song of the album. A fusion of rustic and western influences, it has a heavy dose of guitar strumming. Kavita Seth's brilliant vocals strike a chord with the listener. Seth teams up with Amitabh Bhattacharya in the song and it is sure to be a chartbuster.

"Kya karoon" sung by Clinton Cerejo is an average, feel-good kind of a number. Cerejo's unconventional voice works well for the song.

Up next is a young and hip track called "Life is crazy", which has Uday Benegal and Shankar Mahadevan behind the mike. The track is soaked in contemporary sounds and is sure to be a hit, especially among youngsters.

Finally, we have the title track "Wake Up Sid", again sung by Mahadevan himself. It's a sweet and entertaining song with a strong musical backing. The highlight of the song is the way it goes from fast-paced to slow and then back.

The number also has a remixed version, which is not a typical add-more-beats kind of track. It is interesting and adds colour to the original.

On the whole, the composers have stuck to their signature style and have given music that will be liked by many.

Luck By Joginder Tuteja

Rating: **

EXPECTATIONS

Soham Shah's last film Kaal had boasted of chartbuster music. So much so, that it is selling even till date while the songs continue to play across satellite channels.

Now with a bigger star cast and much bigger budget in hands, Soham returns with Luck which is easily one of the most anticipated films of the season. Its thriller promo has done the trick and one expects that the music too will follow the high adrenalin mode and get the right thump in place; something which is much needed for the movie belonging to this genre.

MUSIC

Salim-Sulaiman and lyricist Shabbir Ahmed had created 'dhoom' with the soundtrack of Kaal and with Luck they come back to the scene once more. As expected, the title song ' Luck Aazma ' arrives first and goes on to find a place throughout the album with two more versions to follow.

Sukhvinder Singh sounds ordinary in the original version but things get seriously zany once the 'remix version' of the song arrives a little later. A number about trying one's luck and taking risks that could be the now or never moment for the protagonists, ' Luck Aazma ' with supporting vocals by Satya Hinduja is a kind of number that should find a place throughout the film's narrative as a background score.

For the first time in the album a female voice is heard and it's a pleasant surprise indeed since the person making her debut behind the mike is none other than Shruti Haasan herself.

Though it's a slow start for her version of the title track (named 'Aazma - Luck Is The Key'), one looks forward to what Shruti has to offer as she gets into the pop mode. She is well supported by Clinton Cerejo who gives her company with her English portions.

Arrangements are a little different for this version as Salim-Sulaiman gives it an entirely Western touch unlike the Sukhwinder version that had an Indian feel to it. Shruti does well with her debut and it would be interesting to see if she manages to get a music video all for herself for this very number!

Things get a little sombre with 'Khudaya Ve' that does remind of 'Yaar Mangyasi' [Kaante] but doesn't quite come close to it.

A sad number about a protagonist missing the ones he loved most, this Salim Merchant sung number doesn't grow on you in spite of repeated hearing and at maximum turns out to be a passable inclusion in the album.

Entry of it's 'remix version' is another surprise since a slow moving number like this which didn't have much appeal to begin with itself didn't quite warrant another version. This is not all as there is third version of the song as well, what with both Salim and Sulaiman coming together behind the mike for the version that is titled 'Radio Mix'!

Luck Anvita Dutt Guptan is the guest lyricist in Luck as she contributes with 'Jee Le'. A number that comes with loads of attitude, 'Jee Le' is a Shruti Pathak number with Naresh Kamath giving her good support.

A catchy track with a slight Middle-East flavour to it, it has a faint resemblance to 'Halla Re' [Neil N Nikki] that again was a Salim-Sulaiman composition.

No, we are not really looking at a chartbuster track here but it has enough fodder to warrant a flashy picturisation and some glitzy choreography. Add to that a bevy of beauties and 'Jee Le' should be a good treat for eyes. And yes, this time around, presence of a 'remix version' does make sense!

However, there is a surprise dampener in the form of 'Laaga Le'. Why a dampener? Because the singer at the helm of affairs is Anushka Manchanda who is known for being choosy about her assignments.

However, 'Lagaa Le' is nothing more than being plain and simple pedestrian as it is straight out of 80s and doesn't have a fresh appeal to it.

Expect the song to play primarily in the background as characters continue to be engaged into something far more interesting on the fore front. With Robert'Bob'Omulo as the supporting voice, 'Lagaa Re' is as forgettable as it gets.

OVERALL

It would be just so wrong to compare Luck with Kaal as it doesn't even come remotely close to it. The album had so much potential in it and could well have been the Dus moment for the composer duo here.

However, in spite of all the technology and free space for experimentation available to them, Salim-Sulaiman don't come up with anything better than a merely average soundtrack.

OUR PICK(S)

'Luck Aazma', 'Jee Le'

Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyricist: Irshad Kamil
Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, KK, Neeraj Shridhar, Mohit Chauhan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Rating: ***

After the hit score of "Jab We Met", director Imtiaz Ali has collaborated with Pritam yet again for the music of Saif Ali Khan's production debut "Love Aaj Kal". Pritam has left no stone unturned in creating soulful melodies.

The film that stars Saif and Deepika Padukone has seven originals and three remixes in the soundtrack.

"Aahun aahun", which has an electrifying start with the strumming of the guitar, is an amalgamation of a hit Punjabi pop song by singer Jazzy B and the Hindi song composed by Pritam. Sung by Neeraj Shridhar, the song keeps juggling between the two genres and is very entertaining. It sets the mood by mixing both Indian and western influences. "Aahun aahun" will surely be a hit.

The number also has a remixed version, which will become a favourite on the DJ consoles.

Up next is a beautiful rendition in Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice. "Aaj din chadeyya" starts with a small alaap. A romantic song that is extremely soothing to the ears, "Aaj din..." strikes a chord with the listeners. The song has a feel-good factor.

With brilliant vocals by Sunidhi Chauhan and Neeraj Sridhar, the next song "Chor bazari" starts with foot-tapping, peppy music. The lyrics are not the highlight of the song, but the number has the potential to impress music buffs.

This too has a remixed version, which is quite average.

KK makes his presence felt with fast-paced song "Main kya hoon", which is enhanced by electronic and psychedelic beats.

With the next song "Thoda thoda pyar", the Punjabi flavour takes precedence. Sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, it has a folk touch to it in places. But it might not go on to become a chartbuster.

Neeraj Sridhar returns with "Twist", which is intermingled with the song "Ek pardesi mera dil le gaya" from the 1958 film " Phagun". It's a dance number that is high on beats.

The remixed version, however, is better than the original.

Finally we have Mohit Chauhan crooning the song "Ye dooriyan". The song is just about passess muster, but Mohit's vocals are the highlight.

On the whole, Pritam has done a good job with the soundtrack and created songs that are sure to become hits.

Michael Jackson had been abusing prescription drugs for years, according to his longtime friend, doctor and author Deepak Chopra.

Chopra reveals that he has refused in the past to prescribe the star strong medication, and blamed "drug peddling Hollywood doctors" for feeding his need and causing his death.

In a passion-fuelled interview with CNN, Chopra listed the drugs he knew Jackson was taking, including strong painkillers Demerol and Oxycontin, the latter dubbed 'Hillybilly Heroin.'

Chopra said, "Michael spent a week with me and at one point asked me for a prescription for a narcotic. It certainly dawned on me he was already taking these and had a number of doctors who were giving him these prescriptions, so I confronted him with that. At first he denied it, he was in a lot of pain, he said he had back pain and I knew he had muscular aches and skeletal pains from the stress he was going through. I said, 'Michael you don't need this...'

"There are a plethora of doctors in Hollywood -- they are drug peddlers, they are drug pushers they just happen to have a medical license and I hope this episode today, this tragic death of a great human being will bring to light this problem.

"I will be bold enough to identify these people at a certain time but I think the police should do their own investigation."

When pushed on the drugs Jackson was taking by host Wolf Blitzer, Chopra replied, "At one time I knew about Oxycontin. I knew that he would get injections of Demerol and other narcotics. I was really desperate to try and help him but you can't help somebody who is going to deny it. In my belief, from what I know, he was (addicted)."

Source: hollywood.com/news/Jackson_Abused_Medication_for_Years

UPDATE: LA Times, CBS and CNN all confirm that Michael Jackson has died.

Michael Jackson is reportedly in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.

The "Thriller" superstar's aides frantically called an ambulance to come to Jackson's Holmby Hills mansion in Los Angeles earlier today, according to TMZ.com.

Reports suggest the singer's condition was so bad, medics were forced to administer CPR en-route to a nearby hospital — to keep him alive.

Jackson's worried family members are allegedly rushing to his bedside.

Earlier this month, family insider Arthur Phoenix told WENN the superstar was in a bad way and should not be considering a 50-concert run in London, scheduled to start in July.

He insisted the concerts would not happen, stating, "Michael is not mentally, physically or spiritually ready for these shows. There's something missing in his soul... It's over! There are family members who feel the same way but they're afraid to speak."

Phoenix fears the pressure of the comeback and the upcoming shows have taken their toll on the 50 year old.