After charming Sonam Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Kirron Kher and a host of other actresses in Bollywood, Gaurang Shah's creations are now sought by popular southern stars like Kajal Aggarwal and Amala Paul.

When Amala Paul wore a green floor length khadi Anarkali, with zardosi embroidery from Shah's "Chandbali" creation with a Kanjeevaram dupatta at a recent launch, she couldn't stop her admiration for the handwoven creation and said in a statement: "Love this creation of pure elegance!! You are a true genius Gaurang. Thank you."

What charmed Kajal was Shah's grey tie-n-dye ikkat Kanjeevaram saree with a traditional yellow border inspired from the 16th century temple art. The sari she wore recently for a launch was a pure amalgamation of traditional korvai weaving of Kanchipuram and contemporary ikkat of Andhra Pradesh.

"My collections are in admiration of the women blazing the trail in fashion, they truly inspire fashion trends and I am really pleased the gorgeous looking Kajal and Amala have worn these exquisitely crafted dresses by me and expressed their appreciation for hand-woven designs," Shah said in a statement.

"It will certainly take traditional wear one notch up in the fashion consumer souk and inspire the young generation to indulge in these all occasion handcrafted fashion creations," he added.

Shah's passion is to constantly reintroduce vintage Indian fashion with a whole new modern outlook both on the ramp and in the marketplace without moving away from the glorious yesteryear's craftsmanship.

Actor Naga Chaitanya says the forthcoming con thriller "Dohchay", which releases in theatres on Friday, is a step towards new age cinema -- the kind Telugu audience hasn't experienced before.

"The highlight of the project will be that it's definitely not going to be the kind of film that Telugu audience has been seeing. The presentation, style and content will be very new age. It's a heistdrama packed with lot of entertainment," Chaitanya told IANS.

Directed by Sudheer Varma of "Swamy Ra Ra" fame, "Dohchay" features Kriti Sanon in the lead.

"As an actor, it was a genre I never attempted before. Sudheer may have already made a film in this genre, but 'Dohchay' is very fresh and the youngsters will dig it. Ever since I saw 'Swamy Ra Ra', I've been thinking of doing a con film," he said, and added that Sudheer was one of the best technicians he's ever worked with.

"A lot of directors rely on other technicians to get their work done, but Sudheer is an exception. He's fun to work with and doesn't really believe in making Rs.100 crore films. His ideas are very new age. He believes in writing good content and focuses turning that into great films," he added.

Unlike Chaitanya's previous films, action in "Dohchay" will be realistic.

"The action here is not me against a group of henchmen. Since it's a crime drama, most of the action is on the run. You'll find lot of car and bike chase sequences choreographed in Hollywood style," he said, adding that he prefers realistic action over commercialised stunts.

"Honestly, I relate to this kind of action more because I like to make cinema as realistic as possible. I don't usually prefer over-the-top action. We avoided using VFX, and managed to keep everything realistic. With the help of the stunt choreographer, we pulled off all the stunts and I enjoyed the process a lot," he added.

It's impossible to make a heist film in India without being compared to the West.

Nodding in agreement, Chaitanya said: "I think Sudheer has openly admitted of being influenced by Hollywood. Filmmakers like Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino are his inspiration. His working style and execution maybe very Hollywood; but the emotions and sensibilities of his stories are very south Indian".

Talking about his co-star Kriti, he said that she's extremely professional and one of the few heroines he has worked with who took efforts to speak the language.

"It's easier to work with an actor who speaks the language because then you can react well. I liked the fact that she spoke the language despite not knowing it. I think it was great working with her and to top it all, she's stunning," Chaitanya said.

Comedy star Santhanam will be seen in a completely fresh and romantic avatar in upcoming Tamil romantic comedy "Inime Ippadi Thaan" says one of the film's directors, Prem Anand.

"We've explored the romantic angle in Santhanam. While keeping the comedy content, we've also made it a romantic outing with drama and emotions. Santhanam has worked hard and even lost some weight to look stylish in his role," Anand told IANS.

Prem Anand has co-directed the film with Murugan. It also features Ashna Zaveri and Akhila Kishore in important roles.

Santhanam will also be seen performing stunts in the movie.

"The action has been choreographed keeping in mind his image. We haven't gone overboard," he said.

Currently in post-production phase, "Inime Ippadi Thaan" is gearing up for release in May.

A day before the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, actress Tamannah Bhatia's jewellery line 'Wite & Gold' has gone live.

The website www.witengold.com has elegant day wear, gemstones, work wear and diamond jewellery designed by Tamannah.

The collection features rings, earrings and pendants.

"I'm very happy that I'm going to bring out (jewellery) for my fans, who enjoy the element of style in me in my films," Tamannaah had told IANS earlier.

Asked what pulled her into the jewellery designing business, she said: "My father has been in the jewellery business for many years and I have always watched him and spent time with him.

"I always feel that lucky are those people who get a chance to take their passion as profession and turn into something more. I was lucky twice, I got that first with acting and I am doing it again now with jewellery," she said.

Pakistani designer Nida Azwer always tries reviving traditional arts and crafts through her work, and her 'Iznik Collection' at PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week (PSFW) 2015 here was a step towards this. The designer feels that it is important to use age-old skills in a modern context as this pushes the overall fashion industry.

"We always try to highlight and promote indigenous artisanship and design elements within a modern context. People worldwide appreciate our traditional art and craft and so, it is my responsibility as a designer to promote it in the best way possible," Azwer told IANS here.

"We are appreciated for our use of more classic and vintage design elements infused with traditional crafts such as tukri ka kaam, rilli, kantha, zardozi and miniature embroidery, worked into contemporary fashion, and we are proud of that," she added.

It is noteworthy to say that everything made at Nida Azwer Atelier is handcrafted by artisans in Pakistan.

Drawing inspiration from Iznik and Persian ceramic patterns, Azwer's collection at the ongoing PSFW 2015, being held April 18-21, under the brand name Atelier welcomed the summer season with florals and geometric elements displayed on designs. It also embraced the use of animal motifs such as birds and deer, as seen in Persian pottery.

There was focus on structured construction, quite visible on summer jackets, pants and tops along with flowy silhouettes.

The colour pallete saw hues of blue and teal with hints of saffron, and the ensembles were embellished with fine silk thread work, crystal and zardozi in luxe fabrics such as silks, cotton net and net.

Azwer has been designing and working in fashion under the aegis of her eponymous label since 2005. Her label includes a Pret a Porter line, a haute couture bridal line and a line of accessories.

The Nida Azwer Atelier has grown significantly since its inception, now boasting two standalone flagship boutiques; one in Lahore and the other in Karachi. Internationally, the brand is available across The Middle East, the US and Europe through select boutiques.

Asked if she plans to come to India ever and retail her clothes there, she was quick to respond: "Oh, why not? People in Pakistan are crazy about Indian designs as they find it fabulous so it will be a fresh change to sell in that market.

"I got invited to Kolkata twice for an event called Style File. Then we applied for fashion week and they took us for round one, but after that, the clothes couldn't get there," she added.

Recalling her tryst with India, she said: "I have been to Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata, but I feel Delhi is the most fashionable city. Karachi and Mumbai are very similar in terms of dressing up. People in these cities are very laidback, chilled out and casual wherein Lahore and Delhi are very much into crisp and structured dressing.

Kalki Koechlin, who is garnering plaudits for bringing the struggles of a girl suffering from cerebral palsy with convention on screen in "Margarita With A Straw", has thanked the audiences for supporting the experimental film.

“I'm going to be out of network for a few days so just want to say what an overwhelming response for MWAS. It restores my faith in people. And I want to thank each and everyone of you who stepped out on the opening weekend for MWAS. You make films like these possible,” Kalki tweeted on Monday.

"Margarita With A Straw", directed by Shonali Bose, narrates the struggle of a cerebral palsy-affected girl (played by Kalki) with the normal activities in her life. The film hit the screens on Friday.

The “Shaitan” actress went on to share a new discovery about herself on the micro-blogging site.

“After thirty years I'm reluctantly discovering that I am a morning person,” she posted.

Actor Nakul, who was recently seen in sleeper hit "Tamiluku En Ondrai Azhuthavum" and has been part of the Tamil industry for over a decade, says critical success doesn't matter anymore as everybody has become money minded.

"Today, I don't think critical success matters anymore. It has to be commercial success. Producers have become very moolah-conscious, especially with the entry of big studios and corporates. When you take all these factors into consideration, you ought to have a good film to survive," Nakul told IANS.

"If a new hero is coming into the market, he has to create an impact with the box office business; otherwise it's tough to survive. Becoming a hero is easy, but staying one in the top league is extremely tough," he said.

Basking in the success of his latest film, Nakul says he has been waiting since 2009 for a hit.

"I accepted 'Tamiluku Ena' merely as an obligation when the producer of my last film, 'Naan Rajavaga Pogiren', which didn't do well, came back to me with an offer. I was touched by his gesture. And when I heard the script, I was blown away and decided I had to do this film," he said.

"I knew there was something about the film that'll work in our favour but I never anticipated this kind of success, which even got me appreciation from some industry bigwigs such as A.R. Murugadoss and Shankar," he said, and added that a hit is welcome anytime in one's career.

Nakul also believes that "Tamiluku Ena" was more like a test for him, and that its success gave him the reassurance that he is on the right track in his career. It also made him realise that it's perfectly alright to wait for the right script to come along.

Having made his cinematic debut in filmmaker Shankar-directed 2003 Tamil film "Boys", Nakul has only starred in eight films so far.

Other popular actors such as Siddharth, Bharath and music composer S.S Thaman who worked with him in "Boys" have already worked in over 20 films.

Nakul says he doesn't know why he couldn't do more films.

"I believe luck plays a major part in this industry. See, I can only choose from the offers I get. I don't have a long queue of directors outside my house waiting to cast me. I've always been more inclined towards quality than quantity. But I'm really happy with my career and I have no complaints," he said.

Is he jealous of the fact that his friends who started their careers alongside him have been more successful?

"I'm actually proud of my friends. Since 'Boys', they were extremely committed and had planned what they want to do next. I've never planned my career the way people usually do. It was on the last day on the sets of 'Boys' that I asked myself what I want to do next," he said.

A few years ago when Nakul wasn't getting many offers, he took up singing to keep himself occupied.

"My film career didn't take off after 'Boys' the way I had planned. Singing was again more like an obligation as I couldn't say no to people who requested me to sing. But it's true I took up singing when I felt everything was going down at one point.

"It is because of singing that I got my first offer as hero. I sang the song 'X-Machi' from 'Ghajini' with a singer called Mathangi, who called me for an interview to a private channel. It was here that I was spotted by the wife of director Prasad, who offered me the lead in 'Kadhalil Vizhunthen'.

"Singing kept me alive, but that wasn't what I wanted to do," he added.

Despite his share of hits and flops, Nakul says it has always been a constant struggle in the industry.

He will next be seen in Tamil comedy "Narathan".

Singer Kailash Kher, whose musical notes echo originality, is set to mesmerise people of Kedarnath in Uttarakhand on April 24. The "Teri deewani" crooner says he is excited to perform at the holy place.

"In Badrinath 3years ago we performed at Auli Joshimath in heavy snow. Now Looking forward to visit at #KedarNath Dham on 24th #ShivMiracle," Kailash tweeted on Monday.

The singer has given hits like "Bum bhole", "Saiyyan" and "Allah ke bande".

"Vicky Donor", a simple film that touched upon the sensitive topic of sperm donation in a light and entertaining manner with the spark of Ayushmann Khurrana and charm of Yami Gautam, clocked three years on Monday.

"Happy Vicky Donor day! Big hug for your love guys &making it trend! And always a big thank you @ShoojitSircar sir," Yami tweeted on Monday.

Directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by John Abraham, the film revolved around infertility, sperm donation and artificial insemination.

In the 2012 film, Yami plays a Bengali girl who falls in love with Vicky Arora (Ayushmann), who donates sperm.

Yami was last seen in a small role opposite Varun Dhawan in film "Badlapur".

Indo-British producer Michael Ward has roped in Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan for his next film “Bombairiya”.

Ravi will play the role of a fading superstar named Karan Kapoor in the film, which also stars Radhika Apte, Siddhanth Kapoor, Akshay Oberoi and Shilpa Shukla.

“My role in the film is very unique in itself. I play the role of a fading superstar. I heard the script for five minutes and I was convinced that I want to do this role. It's an interesting script and I am happy that I am a part of a film like 'Bombairiya'," Ravi said in a statement.

Ravi has a small role in the film, but it will be a powerful one, says Ward.

“He is an award winning actor and a superstar in his industry. He has a great degree of professionalism and that was more than enough for us to sign him for this film," Ward added.

The film is directed by Pia Sukanya, and it will go on the floors on April 25.

Picture House Media, a leading production company, on Monday withdrew a cheating case it had filed against Shruti Haasan last month for walking out of one of their upcoming yet-untitled Telugu-Tamil bilingual projects.

"The case was withdrawn after Tamil Film Producers Council (TPFC) and South Indian Film Artists Association (SIAA) intervened and settled the issue amicably," read a statement.

"Shruti is very thankful for the intervention of SIAA on the matter as the lawyer sided with her cause due to harassment meted out to her. Thanks to the support of the industry bodies, she has also decided to withdraw the defamation claim against the producers for misrepresentation and revealing misleading facts to the media," Shruti's spokesperson told IANS.

Keeping this issue in mind, TPFC and SIAA said that artistes should work in tandem with the producers and not cause heavy losses to them because of their irresponsible acts.

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia has replaced Shruti in the project, which also features Akkineni Nagarjuna and Karthi. It is being directed by Vamsi Paidipalli.

Veteran actress-social activist Shabana Azmi will star in BBC One's TV series "Capital".

Being directed by Euros Lyn, known for works like "Happy Valley" and "Doctor Who", the series is an adaptation of John Lanchester’s critically acclaimed and bestselling novel of the same name.

“Here is what I'm filming in London for. Toby Jones Emma Jones Adeel Akhtar all BAFTA nominees. Euros Lynn directs,” Shabana posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter on Monday.

She also posted a link for more details about the show, the filming of which has begun in London.

According to bbc.co.uk, the TV drama also stars Toby Jones, Lesley Sharp, Wunmi Mosaku, Adeel Akhtar, Rachael Stirling, Gemma Jones, Robert Emms, Bryan Dick and Radoslaw Kaim. It is being produced by Kudos.

Set on a single street in South London, “Capital” is a portrait of a road transformed by soaring property prices.

“It is wonderful to see such a stellar cast starring in 'Capital'. They are sure to bring Peter Bowker’s stunning scripts to life in their portrayal of such funny, true and brilliant characters. The wealth of talent involved both on- and off-screen will cement 'Capital' as a truly special drama for BBC One,” bbc.co.uk quoted Lucy Richer, executive producer for the BBC as saying.

A tale of an invisible man taking on the baddies in the latest Hindi sci-fi release "Mr. X" may have failed to impress critics, but it has raked in Rs.14 crore in its opening weekend.

Produced by Vishesh Films and directed by Vikram Bhatt, the film features Emraan Hashmi as an invisible man who seeks revenge for all the wrongs done to him. It also features Amyra Dastur and Arunoday Singh.

According to the production house, the film recorded Rs.4.5 crore on Friday and Rs.4.39 crore on Saturday. On Sunday, the figure was Rs. 5.1 crore, summing up to Rs.14 crore.

The film is made on a budget of Rs.40 crore (including marketing and distribution costs) and has already received Rs.27 crore (for satellite and music rights), read a statement.

The sounds of Bollywood tracks "Humma humma", "O humdum suniyo re" and "Maahi ve" resonated as models sashayed across the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2015 (PSFW) 2015 ramp here in creations by designer Zara Shahjahan. For an Indian onlooker, it was a moment of pride.

The designer impressed many with her collection, but her choice of Bollywood tracks hooked the audience to her range further.

The show started with the "Humma humma" song from the film "Bombay" followed by "O humdum suniyo re" from the film "Saathiya" and "Maahi Ve" from "Highway".

A fellow journalist sitting next to this IANS correspondent in the front row here during the show, was thoroughly enjoying the music.

"I envy you people for making such soulful tracks," the journalist whispered into my ear.

"We love Bollywood songs. Wish that one day our songs reach that mark when you play our songs in your fashion weeks," added the scribe.

The irony here was that while a Pakistani designer opted to use Bollywood tracks in her show, at Indian fashion weeks western tracks rule the roost.

Anyhow, Shahjahan's return to the PSFW 2015 for the fourth time was marked by her new collection of luxury pret titled 'New Vintage'.

"I took inspiration from the intangible qualities and emotions that possess and define the modern woman, qualities such as vivacity, that encapsulates the desire to experiment and live life to the fullest,” said the designer.

The womenswear collection was based on a fresh colour palette of blues, maroons, salmon pinks and pistachio greens on luxe silks and karandi.

There were a lot of androgynous silhouettes and separates adorned with jewel embellishments, crystals and semi-precious stones.

Pakistan's first designer, who has the expertise to make her own motifs,
Shahjahan’s collection was a celebration of individuality, femininity and sophistication.

Undoubtedly, Pakistani designers and the Pakistan fashion week is unique in many ways.

One of the high points of the Pakistan fashion week is that the audio-video of the country’s national anthem is played before the start of every show and the entire audience in the main show area stands up to show respect.

Another remarkable point of the ongoing fashion gala was no break between shows. So, if you enter with the idea of coming out after watching one show, you are wrong. It will go on till the last show of the day, and thereby finishing the day on time, unlike many global fashion weeks which go on till the wee hours.

This also proves that designers here want to spend more time on making a collection that will create memories rather than investing time on making huge sets and adding drama on the ramp with lighting and decoration.

All in all, there are many things to learn from this booming industry.

Bollywood celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Riteish Deshmukh and Ayushmann Khurrana took to micro-blogging site Twitter to condole the death of 20-year-old Bengal cricketer Ankit Kesri, who died from an on-field injury in Kolkata.

The former Bengal Under-19 cricket captain, Ankit sustained a head injury in an on-field collision during a local game in Kolkata on Friday during a senior knockout match against Bhowanipore.

The opening batsman, who was also a member of the Under-23 Bengal squad this year, passed away following a massive heart attack on Monday.

Here's what the Bollywood stars tweeted:

Shah Rukh Khan: Too young to go...extremely unfortunate & sad. Condolences & prayers for Ankit Keshri & his family. May Allah bless his soul. R.I.P.

Hrithik Roshan: Saddened by d tragic death of such young sportsman. Ankit Keshri. My deepest condolences 2his family. Life is unpredictable. life is now.

Riteish Deshmukh: Condolences & strength to the family-most Unfortunate.

Ayushmann Khurrana: Sports could get unpredictable and ruthless. A normal day on the cricket field could be life threatening. RIP Ankit Keshri.

Arjun Rampal: Heartbreaking, heard about the young Bengal captain, Ankit Kesri demise due to an unfortunate accident on the field. Prayers for loved ones.

Esha Gupta: So sad to hear about the tragic loss of a star in the making in the field of cricket. #RIPAnkitKeshri, condolences to the family.

Anubhav Sinha: How can kids die playing a game of cricket? Second death on a cricket field in a short span. Take Care Boys. RIPAnkit Keshri

Pooja Chopra: Just 20 ! My heart goes out to his family Ankit Keshri

Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday spent quality time with his young fan Srija and expressed his happiness over her successful recovery from illness.

Last year, Pawan had visited Srija, who was suffering from brain tumor, at a private hospital in Khammam.

"Pawan Kalyan spent about two hours with Srija and her family in his office. He was extremely happy that the 12-year-old has fully recovered," read a statement from Pawan's office.

When Pawan visited Srija last year in hospital, he also donated Rs.2 lakh and some toys.

Actor-filmmaker Raghava Lawrencce's latest Tamil outing "Kanchana 2" is reaping gold at the box office. Tamil superstar Vijay recently called Raghava to congratulate on the film's success, and the latter is now planning a special screening for him.

"Vijay sir has taken a small break from the shoot of 'Puli'. He rang up Raghava on hearing great feedback about 'Kanchana 2', and invited him home. Touched by Vijay sir's gesture, Raghava plans to hold a special screening of the movie," a source close to Raghava told IANS.

"Kanchana 2" is the third film in the horror-comedy franchise. Raghava has acted in as well as directed all the parts.

Taapsee Pannu and Nithya Menen play important roles in "Kanchana 2", which has grossed a whopping Rs.17.03 crore in its opening weekend in Tamil Nadu.

Filmmaker Mani Ratnam's latest Tamil outing "O Kadhal Kanmani", which has been raved about by critics and audiences alike, has minted over Rs.14 crore at the box office worldwide in the first four days since its release.

"The film has approximately collected Rs.14.73 crore from both its Tamil as well as dubbed Telugu versions in four days worldwide. Despite the onslaught of "Kanchana 2", which has already turned out to be a super hit, Mani's film has impressed the multiplex audiences," trade analyst Trinath told IANS.

Touted to be Ratnam's comeback to the romance genre, the film is set in Mumbai and follows the story of a young couple Aadi and Tara who decide to live together even before marriage.

Starring Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen in the lead roles, "O Kadhal Kanmani" has given Ratnam a much needed hit after his last outing, "Kadal", not only bombed, but also burnt the pockets of several distributors.

The film has done exceptional business overseas as well.

"Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii" fame TV actor Prabhat Bhattacharya has now turned director with the film "Kaanu", based on football.

"There aren't many movies in Indian cinema about football. There are a few in world cinema...sports genre is still untapped in our industry. 'Kaanu' definitely has sports backdrop," Prabhat told IANS.

"'Kaanu' doesn't just talk about football. It's about what it takes to be a footballer in this country. Besides, 'Kaanu' presents human relations, efforts and emotions.

"Only 17 to 18 countries play cricket and we call it a world event. 'Kaanu' doesn't talk about cricket, it talks about football, which is played in 197 countries. It is a huge and world event. Only 25 countries get to qualify and participate and reach finals," he added.

"Kaanu", slated for 2016 release, will be produced by Sai Sapney Entertainment and presented by Gaurango Filmcraft Academy.

Sharing the details of starcast of the film, he said: "Anupam Kher, Smita Jaykar and Shishir Sharma will be seen in pivotal roles in my film".

Digboi-born musician Joi Barua, who has lent his voice to Bollywood films like "Udaan" and "Dev.D", says he takes a "lot of pain and effort to ensure that our local stories are heard".

With roots in Assam, the singer is happy that festivals are organised in the capital to promote the northeastern region, but he also likes to do his bit as an artist.

"In terms of music, I made 'Looking out of the Window' (Assamese album) after working in Mumbai. I could've easily used my time to work on something else like an album in English or Hindi," Joi, who moved to Mumbai 10 years back, told IANS in a telephonic interaction from the city of dreams.

The album, which came out in 2010, also brought some of the musicians - Pawan Rasaily, Manas Chowdhary, Ibson Lal Baruah, Partha Goswami and Abani Tanti - from his state together.

"I like the synergy in a band. The band consists of my friends and are originally from Assam. Since my album was in Assamese, I wanted people who understood the language. So, I decided to do it with a band. Joi (band name) was formed in 2010 while we were making the album," he said.

His last single "Pitol soku" was composed for his sister Roopa Barua's documentary film "Riders Of The Mist", about the bareback pony racing tradition in Jorhat.

"Jorhat is my hometown. We wanted to show the story to the world. It even won the Best Documentary at the Indian Film Festival of Houston. I do take a lot of pain and effort to ensure that our local stories are heard," said the performer, who is also working with another Assamese singer, Priyanka Bharali, on a song.

As much as he is proud of his roots, the singer, who works "out of passion", never saw shifting to Mumbai "as a struggle", though there was one thing he had to work hard on.

"Sometimes people do feel that our Hindi is different, but I didn't tell them that their English is also different. What we speak here is different from what people speak in Germany or any other country. There are various interpretations of one thing and that is the way the world is.

"Hindi also changes from city to city - like from Delhi to Mumbai to Bihar. There is no one Hindi. That's what the national language is... you need to make it your own and make it beautiful. There are certain things that I needed to align. We don't have certain sounds and phonetics in our language. When you don't have it, you have to work on it," he said.

And now, Joi is happy with the response to his latest composition "Dusokute" (Assamese for 'in your eyes') from Kalki Koechlin-starrer "Margarita With a Straw".

"I'm satisfied with the response. It's a very different song," he said of the track written by Prasoon Joshi in Hindi.

"The way he has written it, it feels like wind on the face... that's the power of writing. That's amazing," added Joi, who has almost finished composing the soundtrack of John Abraham's upcoming film "Banana".

Apart from Bollywood projects, the singer, who grew up listening to Assamese musicians like Bhupen Hazarika, western music artists like those in The Beatles and Sting, is also collaborating with a South African musician.

"South Africa is a great land with simple but amazingly gifted musicians. We've started working on the song. I need to polish it up," said the singer, who enjoys music that "comes from the heart".