Priyanka Chopra: I sang before i could say ABCD

stoppressENRIQUE OFFERED $4MNTO JUDGE TALENT SHOWLatin singer Enrique Iglesias, 36,has reportedly been offered $4million per year to be the fourthjudge on the upcoming season ofthe reality singing show AmericanIdol. While longtime judge,musician Randy Jackson willmove to a mentor role, pop divaMariah Carey has been confirmedas one of the judges. Rapper NickiMinaj and country singer KeithUrban are also being considered.

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Neha Sharma■ neha.sharma@hindustantimes.com

Get set to stick a poster ofPriyanka Chopra — therockstar on your bedroom wall. The actor-

turned-singer is ready with herdebut music album, and the firstsingle releases in less than aweek. Donning a calm posturebelying any jitters before theinternational launch that co-incides with the release ofher film Barfi!, Chopra says, “Ilearned how to sing even beforeI said my ABCD. Music was abig influence in my life. Butwhen, during the shoot of SaatKhoon Maaf, Universal (therecord label) approached me todo the album, it felt out of theblue. I gave it a shot because Iam open to doing differentthings,” she says.

Besides all the nervousness,there’s hope. “I want the world totaste the flavour of India and mymusic will have it. I’m taking theleap of faith. I hope people areproud of me. I’ve given my heartand soul to this album. I am put-ting myself out there and hopethe way India has supported mein everything, they will comeonto this journey, too, with me.”

An exciting revelation —will.i.am, the lead singer ofBlack Eyed Peas, features in herfirst single, In My City. She says,

“It’s a pop, fun song, that youcan listen to in a club. Beingfrom an army background, I’vegrown up in many cities —Bareilly, Ladakh, Pune, Boston,New York, Chicago, Delhi. In astrange way, the song is dedicated to every city whichhas influenced me.”

Her own journey, PeeCee says,wasn’t easy. “There were timeswhen I was thrown out of filmsbecause someone else came witha recommendation. I couldn’t doanything about it. So I justgrabbed every opportunity I got.In my first film, I come after theinterval and die before theclimax. That’s the kind of role Ihad in my debut.” Well, now thatshe’s tasted stardom, what doesshe say about fellow actorKareena Kapoor’s catty remarkthat the latter’s film Heroineis bigger and better thanPriyanka’s NationalAward winningfilm, Fashion?“I am veryproud ofFashion. It’smy career’sbest. HopeKareena gets achance to experi-ence what I didwith Fashion.” We askif the two are friends.“She’s a colleague, but no,we are not friends,” she says.

Navdeep Kaur Marwah■ navdeep.marwah@hindustantimes.com

It’s been barely two dayssince it went on air, but TVquiz show Kaun Banega

Crorepati’s latest season hasalready got its first crorepati.

Manoj Singh Raina, anassistant in Indian Railways,posted in Udhampur districtof Jammu & Kashmir, wins acrore in the episode that airstonight. “My life has changed.For me, more than money, itwas the fact that I met andhugged Amitabh ji (actorAmitabh Bachchan, theshow’s host) that I won’t forget throughout my life.Everyone can earn money,how many can meet MrBachchan?” says the 44-year-old, who wanted toparticipate in the show sinceit started in the year 2000.

“I sat next to the telephoneday and night for threemonths, expecting a call butdidn’t make it. There is nonewspaper in the remote village, Sangaldan, where Iam posted, so to prepare for

this season, I tried my best tobe well-versed in currentaffairs by asking peoplearound,” he says.

Raina, who draws a monthly salary of R45,000,has a nine-year-old son andsays he will build a house forhis family in Chowgam, hisancestral village in Kashmir.“I’ll spend some money oncharity. I also want to moti-vate the jawans of J&K. Theyshould never stop trying evenif they fail. Militancy haspushed Kash-mir back by 20

years,” he says.

KBC 6 gets firstcrorepati already!

Although Priyanka Chopra’s first sin-gle debuts at the American NationalFootball League (NFL), she’s made aspecial request to the NFL to showthe song in India 4-5 hours ahead ofthe international launch. “It will be atoken ceremony on the night of 13th

September but Priyanka really wanted to do this for her

Indian fans,” says aspokesperson.

KRISTEN MAKES FIRSTPUBLIC APPEARANCEPOST SCANDALHollywood actor KristenStewart made her first public appearance since thescandal surrounding hercheating on boyfriendRobert Pattinson with filmmaker Rupert Sandersmade headlines few weeksago. Stewart, 22, walkedthe red carpet at the TorontoInternational Film Festival onThursday night to promoteher upcoming film, On TheRoad. She wore a floral printdress, with her hair pulledback into a long ponytail.

‘I SANG BEFORE ICOULD SAY ABCD’

RAAZ 3 BANNED IN UAEThe Bipasha Basu-EmraanHashmi starrer Raaz 3, whichreleased in India last week,has been banned in UnitedArab Emirates. According tosources, the “sexually explicitcontent and portrayal of thespiritual world” in the film didnot go down well with theofficials of the Censor Boardthere. The distributors of thefilm have stated that they arein talks with the officials tosort out the matter.

PHOTO: ZABEEH AFAQUEN E W D E L H I , S u n d ay S e p t e m b e r 0 9 , 2 0 1 2 , 1 8 PA G E S w w w. h i n d u s t a n t i m e s . c o m

My life has changed completely. I will build ahouse and do some charity

Manoj Singh Raina, First crorepati on KBC 6

PriyankaChopra set torelease the first single ofher debutmusic albumthat featureswill.i.am, leadsinger of BlackEyed Peas

SPECIAL TREATFOR INDIAN FANS

PHOTO: AP

I was cynical but Igave the album a shotbecause I like doingdifferent thingsPriyanka Chopra, actor

Banarasi sari wows Vidya P4

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