Q. Did you have Rani Mukherjee in your video of Tera Chehra because of her star power?
A. It is not a marketing gimmick. I needed a beautiful face to make me emote. And Rani's was the first that came to mind.

Q. Does a video help a singer's popularity?
A. It is the demand of the day. Earlier I would tell my friends to listen to my song. Now I ask them, "Have you seen my song?"

Q. Is the pensive note in your compositions autobiographical?
A. Yes. Every composition is a snapshot of a moment-romantic, happy, sad, jovial. Whenever I undergo these moods, I record it and translate them into melody.

Q. Did you meet Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani? Do you want Indian citizenship?
A. Yes, I met him in Dubai. I am keeping my citizenship option open.

Q. Are you planning to act in films?
A. I have received acting offers but I want to concentrate on my music.

-S. Sahaya Ranjit

TABS ON TRIVIA

Q 1. Trinamool leader Pradip Ghosh's Durga Puja pandal in south Kolkata on railway bifurcation depicted...
a. Mamata Banerjee driving a train.
b. A train derailment.
c. Nitish Kumar as the demon killed by Durga.

Q 2. Former Haryana IPS officer R.K. Sharma has asked Tihar jail officials to allow him to...
a. Sleep on a mattress.
b. Eat the kheer his wife brought him.
c. Play badminton.

Q 3. While washing his clothes each morning, Defence Minister George Fernandes...
a. Hums Abide with me.
b. Plans his day's appointments.
c. Listens to morning ragas.

Answers:1(b). 2(c), 3(a)

TELLYSCOPE
Slice of Life

CALLING THE SHOTS: Sharma directing C'est la Vie

At 8 p.m. every Monday, Most of Mauritius tunes in to C'est la Vie to watch Anne Sophie and Jai engaged in an intense discussion about their future. At 20, Karan Sharma, who plays Jai, is a national icon who has made it to the cover of several weekend magazines. A recent survey by the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation-which telecasts the half-hour, 39-episode show-rates its popularity at over 97 per cent.

C'est la Vie follows the impact the love story has on two families: one of French and the other of Indian origin, unusual in the island's insular, multi-cultural society. Its director, Hum producer Romesh Sharma-who happens to be Karan's father-divides his time between Mumbai and Mauritius, where he now runs a successful studio. "I wanted to write something people could identify with,'' says the former actor. Clearly, he's succeeded.

-Kaveree Bamzai

TRENDS
Movies for Homework

Indian films have entered British classrooms. Bollywood and Beyond, the first-ever teaching guide on Indian cinema, recently launched by the British Film Institute, will be used by schoolteachers to teach A-level students.

The CD-ROM guide offers a comprehensive overview of Indian cinema, and is supported by a video compilation of film clips. It contains an introduction to Indian film stars and examines Indian popular and arthouse cinema and music and dance. Watching Monsoon Wedding (left) could now be homework.

-Ishara Bhasi