My life: Shreya Ghoshal: Accomplished Singer of note and Reality TV Show Winner is The Voice of Youth

One of Bollywood's most recognisable voices talks to P.Ramakrishnan ahead of her scheduled performance last night at PolyU, Hong Kong. 

FIRST NOTES
Although I first became known as a singer through Sa Re Ga Ma [an early Indian version of American Idol] as an 11-year-old, I'd been singing since I started talking. I learned from my parents - we are a very musically and culturally aware family. Though our family is Bengali, my childhood memories are of growing up in Rawatbhata in Rajasthan. It's in a remote area and cut off from the township, so I was surrounded by a lot of traditional and cultural activities. We had no connections to show business - my family is full of scientists and engineers- but my parents were very encouraging about my interest in music. One of my earliest memories is singing in a hall when I was about five. My teacher took me to this boring concert and asked me to sing a song from a film. I sang Aur Iss Dil Mein Kya Rakha Hai ["what else is in my heart?"] and the entire audience burst into applause after just two lines. I'll never forget that moment - it was like the first experience of love, but from an audience. My father wanted me to be properly trained as a singer. To him, this was more important than fame and fortune. My family values education and academic achievement above all, so when I got to Mumbai, in 1997, I focused on learning. I wasn't looking for fame or glamour, unlike millions who come to Mumbai to make it in the film industry. I had no aspirations to be in cinema and I still don't.

REALITY CHEQUE

In Mumbai, I took lessons from legendary musical director Kalyanji and also learned about classical Indian music. The belief that Mumbai is all about pop songs and Bollywood is wrong- there are many incredible teachers in the city. I think learning is a constant process, even if I don't go to one particular guru anymore. I still practise, but not every day; with concerts, recordings and shooting for the TV show [as a judge on India's X Factor], I'm happily but constantly busy. The main difference I notice between youngsters of today and from when I was an aspiring singer is the level of confidence. The amount of intelligence and presence on stage now is incredible. Even while still in their teens they know how to win over an audience. But there's also an innocence lost, the beauty of naivety has gone as the current generation is fed on reality TV, which didn't exist when I was growing up. When I see parents trying to groom a child for stardom, sometimes it's a bit too much. The new generation doesn't seem to know the wonder of music, they aren't seeking enlightenment, there's no appreciation of how profound music can be. Now it's all about ratings, concerts and money. When I was a kid, I didn't do concerts for big pay cheques.

THE FAME GAME

My life changed after producer/director Sanjay Leela Bhansali discovered me on television. He came to our house and offered me an opportunity to sing in his magnum opus Devdas [2002], the biggest musical at the time. I was going to be a playback singer [providing pre-recorded vocals] for the beautiful Aishwarya Rai. I couldn't believe it. The songs were rooted in classical music and I was thrilled. At the time, Aishwarya was facing a lot of flak in the media and a lot of rumours and gossip, but she was so unaffected by it that I feel I learned something from her - to ignore the riff-raff. I've learned not to read any press about myself, good or bad. I've never been a victim of malicious gossip - well, if I have, I'm blissfully ignorant. I've never had a PR person. I've never wanted to be on a scroll on a newsreel. I'm not a manipulator of self-publicity and have stayed rooted to my family and music. I hope my singing alone will bring me all that I deserve.

MUMBAI MAYHEM

Although I'm just 27, I feel old. I've seen so much. But those who say I haven't had to struggle are exaggerating. My father ran from pillar to post in the early days. My family faced troubles that I wish to wipe from my memory, as I don't want to mull on the past. Songs that were promised, payments that were never made, songs I sang that other people ended up recording over, I've seen it all. I do remember the people who treated me badly, but I forgive and try to forget. I think I've grown a bit thick-skinned after my years in Mumbai. In this industry, if you aren't strong, you'll get eaten up. After all my rounds on the reality shows, the performances, the applause, the concerts, the struggle began after reality TV. Gaining success was easy, maintaining it was not. Although doing concerts and performing on stage is great fun- especially with audience interaction - true Indian music is not about performance. There's a belief in our culture that music is for personal and divine growth, a form of spirituality that makes us one with the lord. When I study and practise classical music, I close my eyes and sing for no one but me. There's a certain magic to that, which is lost on the new generation. With certain kinds of reality shows - with their dramatic cuts and staged wars- the new generation is being prevented from developing a voice to find this form of divinity.

REEL LIFE

I've been offered roles in films but I've turned every one of them down. When I met the great Indian actress Rekha, she grabbed my face and told me that I must do films. Another time I was recording a song in Chennai and a producer said I reminded him of legendary Indian actress Sridevi- I love her, but I don't think it was a valid comparison. [Bhansali] jokes with me that we'll make a film, but as my mentor and guardian I know he won't. I won't sacrifice my music - and doing films would take me away from music. I've worked hard for everything I've achieved. I won't be a mediocre actress when I can be a good singer.

See earlier features:

• My day with Shreya Ghoshal and my photographer: Pre concert pics
• Indian singer Shreya Ghoshal in Hong Kong for a concert 
• My life: Sunidhi Chauhan
• My life: Carmit Bachar
• My life: Priyanka Chopra
• Shreya Ghoshal lands in Hong Kong

My Life: Gary Goddard

The Los Angeles-based Galaxy Macau designer talks about his cinematic approach to projects.

Words P.Ramakrishnan
Portrait by Douglas Pieterse

Jun 12, 2011

IMAGINE THIS
As a teen, I made money doing odd summer jobs; I was in a band, I sang, I played guitar, got paid to perform on weekends. During the summer holidays, I set up musical theatre workshops, through which I earned the money to pay for college. I was always entrepreneurial as a kid.

When I was young, I wanted to meet three of my heroes - Errol Flynn, Gene Kelly and Walt Disney. I only got to meet Kelly, the others died way before. I had a slight obsession with Disney and his work; I read every book about him. Do you know about the nine old men of Disney? The key guys who worked with Disney; they were all about 10 years younger than Walt, but they worked on all the major productions. I knew every film each guy did. I called up Les Clark after finding his number in the Yellow Pages. I knew he worked for Disney. I spoke to him and made such an impression that he invited me to the studio. I met every one of the guys. No one knew who they were and they certainly didn't have any fans, but there I was, a kid who knew every film they had done, every character they had drawn. It endeared me to them so I was always welcome to the studios. Every time I could get away from school, I'd be there. I learnt so much from them, just talking to them, watching them work. I thought I'd be an animator but was told, 'You're too active, too restless, animators sit at drawing desks all day.' So I didn't end up there but, right after graduation [from the California Institute of the Arts], for three years I worked at Disney as an 'imagineer'. I worked on the parks, how to light it, how to make it more exciting. All this before I was 23.

FATHER'S PRIDE
I got into arguments with my dad over my career choices and I'll never forget the biggest one. One day, while I was at university, my dad said, 'This summer, you're not doing theatre, you're getting a real job. You're not doing this 'playing' any more'. 'Dad, I'm going to be a millionaire,' I said. 'Don't worry about me.' This made him laugh. 'Doing what?' he asked. 'Doing this. Doing theatre. Playing. I'm going to be an actor, writer, director.' He could not fathom any of it. But that's exactly what happened. I did all that and made my first million pretty early on. Was my dad proud later? Well, he never acknowledged it to me. Years later, I went to visit him, a friend of his was over and dad hadn't come into the room. This guy asked me, 'You Larry's kid, Gary?' This guy started rattling off all the things I had done, the movies, the projects. That's how I found out my dad was proud of me.

PLAYING WITH WORDS
At 23, I got interviewed by Marc Davis, who created Tinker Bell. Davis was like my mentor. Because he did so many things, I got restless and wanted to do more. I wrote a screenplay, Against the Gods, which was a retelling of the Ten Commandments, but in space, set in the future. I pitched it to Paramount Pictures and they liked it, so I started writing screenplays. I wrote Tarzan, the Ape Man and lived with Bo Derek and John Derek in the Seychelles for a month. I knew Bo when she was at the peak, she had just finished 10.

FAMILY VALUES
In 1980, I formed my own company, Gary Goddard Productions. We created attractions for Universal Studios. I had done theatre, animation, acting, directing, so I understood how when someone got into a theme park, they were looking for a sense of adventure, excitement and action.

The concept of Las Vegas is changing. Where it used to be a playground for adults, now it's a family show. That's when they started making even bigger money. When told that he made children's movies, Disney said, 'I never made a movie for children, I made movies for parents of children. I put things in the movies that children would like as well.' To me, that's how I approach a project. I aim for the key No1 target market, then we widen it out. Every show, every ride, every building, every resort, first and foremost who are you trying to attract?

LONG SHOT
About six years ago, I was in San Francisco when we had the first meeting about Galaxy Macau and I [told them] they're going to need more than fountains and sparkles to jazz up a casino in a place that's full of casinos. There was a suggestion that we try to recreate Spain in Macau. I argued that if people wanted to see Spain, they can go to Spain.

I think like a filmmaker, so whether you're coming in from the north, south, east, or west, every time you see a view of [the Galaxy], you see a fantastic sight. Think of it as a long shot in a movie: you see this giant structure, then you see the design of the first few floors, that's your medium shot, you see the gates, the entrance, it's still majestic but now you can see the details, we're bringing it down to scale where you can touch it, feel it - that's the close-up.

I'm not one to subscribe to the Venetian philosophy. I've been there only once - never again. I got lost in that place. I've never seen a place as chaotic - in terms of design. It is too big; it's not well planned; how do people move through? The old-school idea that chaos is OK, getting people lost in the casino is a good idea as they'll spend more money [on retail and restaurants] - that is so stupid.

LESSON LEARNED
In 1984, we got a project to convert an old power plant into an indoor entertainment centre. I kept saying, you gotta have a roller coaster that would go up and across two large smoke stacks so people from miles around could see it. I kept getting told, 'We heard you, we understand your passion, but we want no rides.' The project gets made, it's a disaster. No one knows what's in there. I was really young back then and didn't stand my ground. A year later, the management changed, the owners changed and I got a letter. 'We are considering a lawsuit against your firm for the negligence you showed by not putting in a ride. And how irresponsible you were in creating an entertainment destination with no rides.' So I wrote back a very nice letter, attaching six pieces of correspondence from the old management. That was the last of the suit - but I learned an invaluable lesson: this is how the world works; in success it'll be rare that you'll get credit, in failure expect to be blamed for everything.


OUTTAKES FROM SHOOT:

All pics by Douglas Pieterse.

My Life: Nick Priestly

The florist to the stars makes a prediction to P.Ramakrishnan ahead of Britain's royal wedding.
Picture by Nora Tam




TAX LOSS
Before I became a full-time florist, I was a tax accountant in London - as was my wife, Vivienne, who was born in Hong Kong and lived here until she was 15. We met in 1999 while working in international tax consultancy for Arthur Andersen. She decided one day to quit and sell flowers. Somewhere along the way, I realised I was so bored with the rigmarole of accounting life that I quit and joined her. Thus our company, Mood Flowers, took root [in Glasgow, Scotland]. Of course, I never thought while growing up that I'd get into this industry - I don't imagine many people grow up thinking they're going to be florists. Since 2003, this is what I do full time, seven days a week. Now, I'm obsessed with flowers. When my wife and I see a film, especially a romantic comedy where, inevitably, there's some big wedding scene, after the movie, we talk about the floral arrangement in the shot. Alfie, Wedding Crashers, Sex and the City all had great flower arrangements. We notice it in the background of bedroom shots, we notice it if the flowers are aged. Most Hollywood film productions have lavish production budgets and we see it well spent on the flora - we can then try and recreate it if requested.

We don't have a standalone shop, we have an office and we deal mostly with hotels and weddings - more than 200 weddings a year on average. From classic white weddings, using peonies and roses, to winter wonderlands using iced flowers, and exotic weddings using hundreds of stems of vibrant pink phalaenopsis orchids; we've done them all. Budgets vary anywhere from GBP1,000 [HK$12,500] to GBP25,000. We make movable centrepieces so that after the wedding dinner, guests can lift the bouquets and take them with them - I hate to see them wasted. We can't take them back, it's bad form and bad luck to recycle wedding flowers.

WEDDING CRASHES
Out of the hundreds of weddings we've done, only twice have we had to reject a client. They had dozens of ideas but couldn't make a decision. I knew we had to walk away as nothing we did could make them happy. Sometimes a client's ideas can't translate into an attractive arrangement. We get clients who want to go for a symbolic look: 11 white roses with one red stuck in the middle - it looks horrible, like a target. Despite our protests that this won't look good in a photograph or on the table ... well, we do have to listen to our customer as they are always right. I offer my opinion and then we try to work around their ideas. We've had to do strange things like spray-paint roses blue or purple. Dyed flowers look so artificial but how do you argue with someone who insists on purple roses, which don't come naturally in nature? And no, it wasn't Victoria Beckham [she did have a purple and gold wedding, but the flowers were tasteful].

STAR TREATMENT
We have designed for many celebrities such as Rihanna, Kylie Minogue and Keira Knightley. Keira was staying at a serviced apartment and had a rather famous admirer who wanted a bouquet delivered to her doorstep on Valentine's Day. I delivered it to her front step personally. She had a secret pseudonym and there were passwords and codes and all that entails celebrity life. No, I really can't say who the admirer was; I respect the privacy of my clients.

When any major celebrity comes to Glasgow, they end up staying at the luxury/boutique hotels and we get the call to deliver specific flowers to them from either the hotel or PR agency. We get to dress their rooms before they arrive and arrange for a bouquet as they come in. No one's been particularly difficult or diva-esque. Michael Jackson, Elton John and Madonna, they've been very happy to receive flowers, as most people are. I've seen people's faces light up upon receiving them. It's a very different expression I see now, from when I was a tax accountant.

SCENTS AND SENSIBILITY
It hasn't been confirmed yet who will do the flowers for Kate Middleton and Prince William. The relationship with Kate's florist will not be unlike the one she has with her dressmaker; it's very personal. When she steps out of Westminster Abbey, apart from the dress, the flowers will be one of the first things people will notice. The florist and Kate will obviously discuss her preferences but will also look for flowers that symbolise something of her life. Throughout history, royal brides have had a duty to follow tradition. However, it is clear that each had their own preferences considered when choosing their wedding bouquet. The Queen chose mainly whole sprays of orchids, signifying her role as leader of the Commonwealth, while the Queen Mother included white heather, symbolising her native Scotland.

THE KENYAN CONNECTION
It's unlikely Kate will choose anything too far from the royal norm. As a contemporary princess, she would suit a spring-themed, hand-tied bouquet of white ranunculus and lily of the valley. Many celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and royal figures love lily of the valley on special occasions. An alternative twist would to be to add a touch of sapphire blue, to match her stunning engagement ring, in the form of muscari, hyacinths or delphiniums. My prediction is Kate will have a traditional shaped bouquet including calla lilies [her favourite], white daffodils, to signify the fact that William is a prince of Wales, and Fair Trade Kenyan roses, to signify William's charity work in Africa and the place of their engagement. Her bouquet is also likely to include royal staples such as jasmine, lily of the valley and a sprig of myrtle, which has been included in all royal bouquets since Queen Alexandra's back in 1863. I think it would be good if the bouquet was more petite and elegant than some royal bouquets in the past, which would reflect Kate's understated style. I also think it's unlikely that, in a recession, Kate's bouquet will be too ostentatious. Similarly, I don't think the dress will have a long train, as Diana's did. Times are very different now.

FLOWER POWER
Whatever Kate chooses, her floral preferences will filter down to the 'commoners' over the coming months and years. Kate's flowers will be as hotly coveted by future brides as the style of her wedding dress. Brides will be looking to their florists to get the royal feel without the royal budget. Brides have become much more knowledgeable about flowers and often know exactly what they want, and there are many who follow the tastes of brides in the public eye. I look forward to recreating Kate's bouquet in the months and years to come.

My life: Sunidhi Chauhan: Indian Singer rocks Hong Kong

Having kicked off her Asian tour in Hong Kong, one of India's most prolific singers talks to P.Ramakrishnan about her musical heroes. Pictures by Douglas Pieterse.

SMALL STEPS

I was five years old [when] my dad’s friend said to him, “There’s a show for the local community [in Delhi], let her go up on stage and sing. It’ll be cute. She’s so little - people will love it”. At first my father didn’t agree. Then he said fine and he knelt down on his knees, said to me, right before the show, “Go right there in the middle of the stage, sing your song to the mic, and then come back.” That’s exactly what I did. I didn’t notice the applause, see the audience (the stage lights were too bright). There was no fear. I liked to sing but which child doesn’t? I had no concept of whether I was good or not.

But after that show, people kept going up to my parents to say, “You’ve got something here, she can really sing. You must pay attention to it”. Since then, I’ve been singing on stages, small and big. And I’ve never been in awe of performing. Because my first experience was so casual and matter-of-fact - go to the centre, sing, come back, that’s the approach I took for years after. Other singers moved and danced along. I was painfully shy, finally at one show, I started moving along and dancing a bit to the song, I started enjoying the experience of being on stage, years later.

FANATICAL BEHAVIOUR

The only time I slightly panicked was at Hisar (a small state in North India). There were around 100,000 people there and I was the only singer with my troupe of musicians. They wanted to hear the song “Beedi”, which was a rage that year. I usually save it for the finale, as it leaves an impact, but the people started chanting for that song. It kept getting louder, so I finally told my background musicians, lets change it up and for the fifth song, I started singing the intro to the song. The crowd went wild – they torpedoed towards the stage, broke the barricades. It was manic. Thank God we had cops and security, I was escorted out – the show ended right there. I’ve never seen that kind of frenzy for anything. I don’t know how I feel about it, happy they loved the song or in alarmed at the reaction.


HITS AND MISSES

I can never really tell when a song’s going to be a hit or a flop. When I sang “Dhoom”, it was for a film with a cast that wasn’t that famous (at the time), it became a rage. In India, if the film is a hit, the song becomes a hit, I mostly sing for films so if its well picturised on a lead actress, the chances of it becoming a rage is stronger. But times are changing with music videos focusing on singers, with reality TV appearances, singers are more recognizable, a song can run on its own merit.

I love to sing soft, melodic, romantic numbers, but I keep getting the pop hits that you hear in clubs everywhere. Not that I’m complaining, but I do love to sing every genre of song. I have no favourite music director or co-singer, I genuinely like them all. From [Oscar winner] A.R. Rehman, who’s the most humble, soft-spoken soul I’ve met in the industry, to the newcomer music directors or co-singers. I have no qualms about singing for anybody, with anybody.


LEARNING TO LET GO

Politics in the music industry in Bollywood’s there. There’s no denying it – although I try to block it out. There have been instances, when I’ve sung a song, recorded it for a film… and then months later, I can see/hear that some other singer’s done the version on the album. I don’t know what happens behind the scenes, you hear things, but I’ve learnt to let it go. I feel, it’s their loss.

The tabloids in India are part and parcel of the game. It really doesn’t bother me what they say or write. A major film magazine wrote that I was dying to get married and settle down – none of that was true. They make up entire features and interviews and I’ve never thought of suing them. The headache of long legal processes, who has the time? I’m recording songs for multiple films, have concerts around the world, music-videos to shoot, I’m judging on reality tv shows, where’s the time, money, energy to waste on the rubbish they print?


REAL LIFE

Joining Indian Idol as a judge has been wonderful. I’ve had so much fun and its great to encourage and support the new generation of singers. I don’t see them as competition. There are over a billion Indians, more than 400 films made each year, most of them musicals, there’s room for every singer, I feel anyone can sing and I love to hear that I’ve inspired the newcomers. It means a lot to me. I must confess, I love the bad singers too. That part’s the most fun – the auditions with the tone deaf. The delusional ones make for great television viewing and I’m always sad when the audition process is done. It gets serious very quickly, the funny parts end.

Reality TV shows get a lot of flack, but how can I possibly say anything against it? It launched off my career. There’s a youtube clip of me online when I first won Meri Awaaz Suno [Listen to my Voice], which was one of the original reality show on National Indian television. I was 10 or 11… competing with other singers who were older, trained and I think most were in college or had professional careers. I’m wearing a ribbon in my hair, a brown knee-length skirt. I sang a classic song Tu Chanda [You’re the Moon], which was originally sung by Lata Mangeshkar – who was the head judge at the finale. My idol, my world, when I won the competition, I had to go up and receive the trophy from her, the living legend… and I burst out crying. Winning the competition or the cheque or the contract to sing for a studio didn’t mean as much then as being blessed by Lataji. She’s a goddess. The petite, 70-year-old (at the time) Goddess gave me a warm hug and it meant the world to me. When I see it now, I still get gooseflesh. That moment changed by life.


CELINE, WHITNEY, LATA AND AASHA

There was no formal training, no in-born passion to be a singer, I never thought like that. I liked singing, I would listen to tapes of legendary Indian singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Aasha Bhosle and mimic what they sing. I’d play the audio tape of the film Lekin, again and again, and emulate the Mangeshkar sisters who sang in the album. Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are other singers that inspire me. The control of their voice as they reach high octaves, the passion they exude when they sing is great. I love Jennifer Lopez too, her music videos, her fashion, her dancing. The singing.. well, I love her. Can I leave it at that? [She giggles].


I used to mimic Lata Mangeshkar, Aasha Bhosle, and I can mimic other singers and actresses too. I used to perform it as an act in my shows, until too many people… fans of theirs started getting offended. My intention wasn’t to hurt anyone, make fun of them, but people took it wrong. So I’ve stopped. I’m not here to hurt anyone, just want them to enjoy music, so I used to copy their styles. Now, I have a huge catalogue of my own songs – I have no idea how many? 2000? Maybe more.


Working with Enrique Iglesisas was wonderful. I wanted to collaborate with other singers and when this opportunity came up, I grabbed it. He’s so humble, so enthusiastic about music. The bigger the star, the more humble they’ve been. We recorded the song partly in LA and part in Mumbai – the music video was also shot in LA and some parts in India, this fusion of styles. The original idea was different and how its come out is different, but collaborations evolve and grow. I feel it’s a first step for what’s ahead.

ENCORE ENCORE

Last time I came to Hong Kong [five years ago], I performed with one of my favourite co-singers KK. We had a blast of a time, the audience was amazing. Last night, even more so. The show was brilliant, I loved the fact people got up and danced on the aisles. At first, the audience seemed shy to move, but by the fourth song, they got into it. The requests for encores were wonderful. Awards, money, fame… nothing beats a great audience reaction.

Interview courtesy of Jade Group.

Outtakes from shoot.
All images Copyright Douglas Pieterse.

My life: Carmit Bachar: Life After The Pussycat Dolls: Interview in Hong Kong with Singer/Dancer Carmit!

Following a bittersweet departure from The Pussycat Dolls, the "Smile ambassador" has been re-igniting her career in Hong Kong, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

JUMPING FOR JOY I was born and raised in Encino, California, and I'm a mix of Israeli, Dutch, Indonesian and Chinese. Both my parents danced and acted, and I was an audience to their talents. I was always upside down doing handstands as a child - a bundle of energy - so my mum sent me to gymnastics classes. I also did ballet and dance. After watching the 1984 Olympics, I fell in love with rhythmic gymnastics and started competing professionally. I competed internationally for 10 years and even made fifth place in the United States Olympic trials [in 1992]. I had a dance background and loved creating new elements, and I think the audience liked my performance more than my routine. I gave up gymnastics and started performing.

CATS OUT OF THE BAG When we first started, The Pussycat Dolls was more of an underground act, it was the cool thing in [Los Angeles] that few people knew about and we played gigs in The Viper Room and The Roxy. This sensual, burlesque act was conceptualised way back in 1995 but most people think it's relatively new. In 2003, we signed a record deal that brought the group into the limelight but the Dolls had been around long before. The original group was Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Kimberly Wyatt and me. When we were performing, celebrities came to be a part of the show. It was more risqu?in the early days, we didn't sing live, we lip-synched and we had amazing guest stars like Carmen Electra, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani join in.

THEN CAME GWEN When Gwen joined, the fame aspect grew considerably. I was choreographing for [Stefani's band] No Doubt - I've had many avatars - as an independent artist and, when I met Gwen, I said, 'If you ever want to be a part of the Dolls, let me know.' Six months go by, she came to check out the show and, at the end, she came backstage and said, 'I'm jealous. I want to be in it. I love it!' And then we based the show all around her and her music. Gwen was the quintessential Pussycat Doll, really sophisticated and classic. And she has this perfect combination of beauty and rock 'n' roll and sex appeal. She brought something new to the show. It was so great, we went on tour as an opening act for No Doubt. We had a ball.

SPLIT DECISION I left the group in 2008. The split came naturally. Girls have come and gone over the years, some bitterly, some not. Groups are a difficult thing; the relationship goes through a lot. We enjoyed the perks together, we suffered the losses together. We developed bonds but ... some personalities don't mesh in the long run. Nicole did lead the group and was often seen as 'the face' ... but each member had value. Well, I really don't want to focus on the negative but let me just say when things are good, no one leaves a multiplatinum-record-selling group. It's sort of unfortunate, we all worked hard, we had a wide fan base, Nicole was always experimenting and made the group a bigger success but ... many of us did feel that no one should be taken for granted. It affects your experience. After a while, I was happy to leave.

HONG KONG CONNECTION I was in Hong Kong in December for a charity show and I met Ann Tsang [of Antithesis records] and [rapper] Detroit Diamond. I had met Ann before but this time she said, 'We have to work on something together'. Before I knew it, we were all at a studio working together. The synergy was amazing. I love working here in Hong Kong, it's fast, it's efficient.

I've been to the city many times. It's like New York on speed. It's got some amazing qualities - fashion, food, the whole lifestyle. It is so multicultural. I remember coming here years ago, when I was with the group, and thinking, 'I'm definitely coming back soon'. I feel this strange connection to Asia - my mother was born in Indonesia, my grandmother is part Chinese - and I have Chinese tattoos on my back.

IDOL GOSSIP As much as I love LA, I like leaving it on occasion, too. Living in the heartland of gossip and tabloid culture, my personal life is speculated on but I don't really care to talk much about it. At the moment, my personal life is me and my mother. The tabloids often get it very wrong. Like they did in the early days of American Idol, when I went to support [the reality show's most famous runner up] Adam Lambert [see The Review].

When I left the group, my intention wasn't to go solo. I wanted to go out and create and produce - and that's how The Zodiac Show came into being. It's an underground live-performance show that I co-founded as an outlet for both established and new singers, dancers, rappers, poets and performing artists to come together on stage to display their true passion and talent. It's a multiple-genre thing that I can't fully describe. Rap, aerial fire shows, opera, drag queens, everything on stage, all united on one platform. Dita von Teese, Macy Gray, Grammy winners and producers all collaborating. It's my passion project. Adam Lambert was in The Zodiac Show for years - long before Idol - so, of course, we've been friends for a long time. During the show, I went to support him and you can see me in the audience on the Idol re-runs.

CRACKING SMILES Beyond the music, the show, the documentary [about The Zodiac Show], my involvement with Operation Smile, as a 'Smile ambassador', is very important to me. I was born with a cleft lip and palate and I experienced rejection at every corner. But I understand why; this business is about image. I had a scar on my lip after my surgery and people would look and ask, 'What's that?' But it became part of my character. One in 600 children in the US are born with this condition. In America, we have surgery, which takes just 45 minutes, but in Third World countries, there is nowhere to go. I teamed up with the charity to benefit children born with the condition by offering arts education and inspiration for them to live their dreams.

24 hours: Joey Lee

The 28-year-old muay thai champion tells P.Ramakrishnan how she has never lost a fight and why kicking ass is the best way to stay in shape. Photo by David Wong. Hair and make-up Karen Yiu.


"Normally I get up at 6.30am and rush to Pure Fitness, as I have early morning clients and classes as a personal trainer. From about 7am until 10am I am booked up. In the past, though, there have been bankers who've wanted to train as early as 6am, which means I have to be up at 5am and sociable before the sun rises.

But, before I hit the gym, I eat a healthy breakfast - usually oatmeal with bananas or blueberries, or whatever's in the house. I cook for myself but I have a part-time maid who delivers lunch and dinner to the gym; she's fabulous, my lifesaver. For protein and vitamins, I stick to oatmeal and fresh fruit. Most of the time I'm on my feet, so I need the energy.

When I'm not in training, I indulge in French toast with chocolate and bananas, which my trainer [Pierre Ingrassia from The One Martial Gym] would not be happy to hear about. I have to maintain a weight range for fights and it can be a struggle to get it down.

I have a mix of men and women who train with me but, before noon, it's mostly women. They're not there to become professional kick-boxers or to compete against me in the ring; they just want to get into shape and it's the fastest way to shed kilos.

When I'm done with training others, I begin my own training and I usually go for a run around the beautiful waterfront, near the Star Ferry. Those little Nescafé cans keep me awake in the morning but the run will really kick me into gear.

For lunch my helper will source my low-carb menu.

I have chicken or stir-fried vegetables or grilled fish with vegetables. She even cuts up fresh fruit for me - like I said, I am spoiled.

During my breaks, if it's the right time, I will call my mum in Vancouver. I was born in Taiwan but brought up in Canada. When I was in school and college, I did sports - a lot of basketball - and I was always competitive. I tried muay thai for a lark. I really enjoyed it and, when I started winning matches, obviously I enjoyed it more.

Since I moved to Hong Kong in 2005, the two titles I've won have been the World Muay Thai Championship Asian women's champion and the South Pacific champion.

Even though my family's in Canada, Mum can watch the fight in Thailand, Macau or wherever [on YouTube] the next day but I report back by phone. My mother worries about me a lot but at the same time she wants all the details. I have to call her after every fight almost immediately otherwise I know she'll worry herself sick. She has come to just one of my matches but she couldn't watch someone kick the s**t out of me.

When I moved to Hong Kong, after studying, I didn't know what I wanted to do. As both my parents are originally from Hong Kong, I had residency here so I flew down to see what it was like. It's great; so many opportunities have come up. I got a job as a trainer at Pure quite quickly and Pierre saw a fight of mine somewhere, tracked me down and said he'd manage me.

I was fighting for a local gym, really underground stuff, like you would see in movies on cable TV. [Then I got] my first big fight, in Sydney. The first one was a draw - I've never lost a fight.

I've been fighting around Asia and Australia. My last fight was a big event in Macau, which I won. Fortunately, this time the media reported it correctly. Last year, I was in a fight in Macau and the Hong Kong papers misreported that I lost the fight.

I train almost every day in the afternoon at The One, which is a gym dedicated to muay thai and kick-boxing.

I really sweat it out. On Monday to Friday for about two hours I workout. On Saturday, my day off [from training others], it's about four hours. I spar with my trainer or there's a guy I train with. (There aren't many, if any, girls in Hong Kong who are at my level in muay thai so it's usually a man.) It's interesting to fight with a guy because they think it's going to be a little easier. When it turns out it's not, even if we're just training, they get a bit rough and end up hurting me and themselves. It's a pride thing, but I'm just there to train.

Kick-boxing is all about preparation and training. A fight usually lasts three to five rounds, two minutes each. I'm 'on stage' for about 15 minutes - it really is my 15 minutes of fame. Just for those few minutes I have to train for about six months. Even on my days off, I try to do some form of exercise: I run on Bowen Road or The Peak, or I play tennis. I've just started wakeboarding at Tai Tam. Most of my friends are pretty healthy and often they are my gym buddies or clients too.

Usually my training starts weeks, months before a fight and I go at it pretty hard. I start my diet and running and all that jazz. I can drop about 5.5kg in six weeks. Anyone can do that if they work at it. You don't have to train for eight hours a day. All you need to do is regular workouts and cut the crap: no sugar, no alcohol, easy on the carbs, drink plenty of water - all the clichés that are so obvious. If you have a goal - and usually a big fight will goad me into it - it's easier to achieve.

Currently, there's a big fight that I'm working towards: the world title. I was promised if I won the last fight, I could fight [American kick-boxing champion] Angela Rivera-Parr or one of the other top, well-known fighters in the world. There's an Australian girl who I'll be challenging for the world title in December at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel in Macau, so, if I don't want to get the crap kicked out of me, I've got to start training for it now. It's a huge event, with about 2,000 to 3,000 people watching and millions more on TV. There's pyrotechnics, big music, the high rollers. Tickets to my last fight cost US$3,000 per table. I get paid a certain amount to take part but I don't do it for the money and I'm not just saying that. I'm doing it for the love of the sport.

Around 6pm, I'm back at Pure, as I have clients till about 9 or 10pm. By the end of the day, I am beat. I try to eat dinner in between seeing clients and I just gulp it down. I try to eat earlier in the evening as opposed to later. I live in a small apartment, not far from the gym and I cab it home. If work ends early, then I go out to eat with my friends. I don't drink at all. Not ever, not even champagne. But I really enjoy my food. I'm a total foodie and love to try different things and new restaurants. During the heat of training season, I have a bowl of Chinese soup for dinner then I get my eight hours' sleep.

There's a list of people I'd like to fight before I retire. Until then, you know where to find me. At the gym."

Publication Date: September 16, 2007
Post Magazine,
The South China Morning Post



See earlier feature Kick the Girls and Make them Cry

24 hours: Shobhaa De: Interview with famed Indian author, editor and model, columnist Shobhaa De

The 59-year-old workaholic has written 15 novels, pens three newspaper columns weekly and Indian soap operas, and has her own fashion label. She tells P.Ramakrishnan why she has no time for writer's block.

"My day is frenzied, frantic, lunatic and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. I am not a lark and refuse to get up at dawn. My mornings start slowly and only after my first cuppa (preferably Darjeeling). I have no beauty regime or state secret to defy age, other than cleanliness. I've never been to the gym. I don't jog (although in my college days I was sporty). I have a 15-minute stretch routine that I've been doing since my school days and that's all.

I have a fortunate life with help - drivers, cooks and so on. My staff have been with me for years so they know just how hot I like my morning tea. I don't cook but I am a great cook - even if I say so myself. I don't follow recipes but go by instinct, flavours and aromas. I haven't made anything for years and my life would be at a standstill if we didn't have the helpers. I have 20 professional balls up in the air at any given moment. Whenever I am asked how I manage to do it all - the secret of my success - I always say: 'Behind every successful man is a woman and behind every successful woman, there's another woman.' In this case, it's my helper.

I read about eight newspapers in an obsessive-compulsive way, soak up everything, every morning, religiously. Two of the youngest kids are still in the house (the other four are adults and managing their lives and careers in Dubai, Malaysia and around India) but they're old enough to take care of themselves. My youngest is finishing school and preparing for university. I don't kiss them goodbye every morning because I don't subscribe to clichés. For the love of having my children around safe and sound, I don't drop them off at school - because I've no aptitude for driving and have crashed too many expensive cars. My children go in school buses, like others.

There's a large, antique circular dining table in the middle of the house where I sit and work like a demon. It's a huge mess of papers, magazines, articles I've cut out, ideas penned, notepads, stationery. You can't find the table under all the papers and [my family] threaten to bin it all. My mess and I bond. I know exactly where everything is and it frustrates my family no end. Fortunately, they all leave the house in the morning and I can sit uninterrupted.

I hardly break for lunch, it's my peak productive zone.

I get a lot of work done in a non-stop, focused way from about 10.30am to 2.30pm. I don't believe in writer's block. It's a lazy excuse and people just have to get up and get on with it.

I wrote each of my novels by hand but my articles were typed up - until about six months ago [when], in a state of panic, I caught up with technology out of necessity. I used to hand-write my columns too and fax them at noon. One of my daughters would type it up and send it off to the editors. With all the girls getting out of the house, I have taken a quantum leap into e-mail and computers - which I hate. I miss my penmanship. I hope to die with a cheap ballpoint pen at hand - cheap because I've lost too many pens, including a beautiful Dupont in Hong Kong recently.

I have never approached a paper or magazine for work. I say it not with arrogance but with pride that people have been interested in my opinion. Apart from the four regular gigs [for Indian newspapers and magazines], I also write guest columns for various publications. I treat my day like chewing gum - stretch it and stretch it till it's 36 hours long.

I have meetings and brainstorming sessions all afternoon: there are the two TV shows scripted by me on air, the fashion line, another book in the works, a new TV project, film ideas. I never leave the house. Mumbai traffic is hideous. I always ask people to come to my home in Cuff Parade. If someone really wants to meet me then they can sit in traffic for two hours, otherwise it's not worth their trouble or mine.

Fortunately, as a freelance writer, I can travel the world. I have a stock of features banked up in advance. I've been a journalist for nearly 40 years and I've never missed a deadline. And filing from my travels is just not done. It's too hectic. Like the time I was last in Hong Kong four, five years ago for the literary festival: there was this mad dash, trying to find a fax and send a feature across to The Times of India - I hated that chaos.

This weekend, I'm off to Italy to promote the third book being released there. My writings are translated and published around the world and my columns are syndicated in various languages around India.

My late afternoons are even more frazzled. The children are back, we take a lassi or coffee break over hot, buttered toast and even hotter gossip. That's my big indulgence for the day. We enjoy those light-hearted moments.

I love being with my children. I'm so happy they are such complex, interesting, amusing people. I'd rather hang with them - don't ask me if the reverse is true - than any socialite or celebrity. And they are my harshest critics. When Elle magazine listed me as one of the most fashionable women in India, my daughter laughed and reeled in horror, 'This gypsy look is in?' she asked. They don't understand it and roll their eyes.

I await the arrival of Mr De about 6.30pm. I put my pen down, shut down - or try to - and watch him at his elaborate tea ritual. Early evenings at home are also spent chatting with the children, discussing their work, emotional tangles and other anxieties.

Contrary to the [Indian society column] Page 3 myth, I don't attend every event - but I get photographed at the ones I do. We stay at home six nights of the week and accept just one invitation, if that, preferably on a Saturday night. We are making an exception to this rule as there's a dinner with Indian Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram. He's an amazing mind, a very engaging conversationalist and for exceptional people, we make exceptions.

My big treat, normally on Friday or Saturday evenings, is watching a Hindi film at the nearest multiplex. I recommend a Hindi movie to anyone looking for an instant stress buster.

We eat a late-ish dinner, about 10pm. I read till 2am and keep the light on, much to my husband's grievance. We've been married for so long but even now, when he reads with me, he chats and it drives me up the wall.

My work is not about reporting. It's about observation and I'm acutely alive to change. I'm excited by newness. There is always far more material than columns and books and that's a good place to be in. The source of inspiration has not turned dry. I've never run out of ideas. My work speaks for itself. Every book is a best-seller and no critic or other author has been able to stop it from being a success."

Photo, courtesy of Gautam Rajadhyaksha


Also see: Brand it like Mumbai.

My life: Priyanka Chopra: Bollywood Icon Interview in Hong Kong

From beauty queen to Bollywood royalty, the actress is enjoying fame across the continent. P.Ramakrishnan spent the day with Indian actress Priyanka Chopra and she tells him how she and her friends have coped with her meteoric rise.

A DIFFERENT PATH I never thought I'd be an actress. My parents are doctors and I was academically inclined - I was an engineering student. I always knew I didn't want to be a doctor; I can't stand the sight of blood. Seeing my parents at work, knowing that they held life in their hands, I couldn't bear that responsibility. It's like being second to God, the expectations the patient's family has of the doctor.

But I was into music, a bit of acting on stage - I did many musicals, not only in India but when I studied in the US. I was in the choir, a soprano, I toured across the States singing in my high-school choir [in the 1990s] and had a mix of Indian and international friends - most of whom I'm still in touch with.


FRIENDS WILL BE FRIENDS They get a huge kick out of my fame and when I go visit them, when they see the Indian community react to me, it amuses them endlessly. My friends work on Wall Street, have businesses and I go off to the film industry. They send me lovely, funny, strange messages, reviews, opinions. It's all bizarre to them - especially when they Google me and hundreds of images pop up.

The joy of Indian musicals transcends language and culture barriers and I've seen how western, non-Indian fans turn up at Indian shows and movies. It's very sweet and encouraging. Song and dance - we all need a little of that, don't we?

ON TOP OF THE WORLD When I was 16 or 17, my younger brother [by eight years] and mother conspired and sent in this horrible shot of me to the Miss India pageant. I was accepted. They convinced me to go and I did. I won. Weeks later I was flown off to the Miss World pageant and I won that as well. It was 2000. I was told by the press that I was very sure and poised but, honestly, I was a duck. A complete duck - paddling away furiously underneath but calm and composed above water. No one knew how nervous I was, how I blanked when they would ask me questions and when I won, even I couldn't believe it. At 17, I was the youngest Miss World. I guess that's when I realised I could be an actress. I faked being calm and was on autopilot.

After my year's tenure as Miss World - which literally means travelling the world, promoting the charity and cause 'Beauty with a Purpose' - I kept getting great offers from respected filmmakers in India. Being the fifth Miss World from India over a period of seven years, it was sort of expected, I guess.

JOB SATISFACTION I did a Tamil and Hindi film for a lark; just to see what would happen. I loved every moment of film-making.

The myth of the Indian film industry being a chaotic, script-less mess is rubbish. It is more organised than ever before and I work with production houses that will see a film is not only well made but well marketed and projected, too.

I am one of the few people who is lucky to have found a job I love. When you find your vocation, your purpose, every day is a great day. I work seven days a week, I haven't had a holiday for the past five years and I don't have a single complaint. My friends do. I never meet up on time, shoots never end on time and I send apologetic messages. Luckily, my family is understanding but my friends get rejected, I feel bad too but when a shoot doesn't end on time, I can't just pack up.

AND... ACTION Initially, when I started, I'd get very [self]-conscious in front of the camera - especially when complete strangers would appear en masse on a film set. The greatest victory of an actor is to commit to the moment and forget that people are watching you. You think of it as a real situation, not a film set, what you say and do will be on camera, seen by a billion people [with the expanse of the Indian film industry, that's no exaggeration].

I found inner strength in time. Everything I know, I learned on the set. Nothing scares me anymore. If a director says, 'You'll dance like a maniac on the streets of New York, cry in the rain wearing a sari next to a Jaipur palace' - I'll just do it. If I made mistakes, I learned from them. How to present myself, my dialogue delivery, my costumes, how to appear on the red carpet - who teaches that? You live and learn. When the press writes unkind things, I laugh it off. Initially it hurt but now, who cares?

FUN IN THE SUN I generally wake up around 6am and head off to work. When you get stuck in Mumbai traffic on your way to the studio, you can get a lot done.

One of the many perks of my job is I get to travel. For my last film, Dostana, we had a 60-day outdoor shoot in Miami and I stayed in a rented flat. I have so many friends and family in the US that my place became the party house. The movie's success means so much more as we had so much fun making it. I prefer outdoor shoots. In Mumbai, I have to multitask; interviews, photo shoots, dubbing, rehearsals, outfit fittings, premieres, family, friends, all need your attention. On an outdoor [shoot], you have to make the movie within a time frame and budget - its complete concentration and you're cut off from the rest of the world.

DOWN TO EXPERIENCE I stand by even my worst movies. We all do movies with the conviction that its going to be good and when it fails, I cry. All that effort and love and dedication you put into a role, it kills when it's rejected. When it works, it's fantastic.

Published in Post magazine, Hong Kong.