candid conversations with puja talwar: Recent Episodes
Puja Talwar
All things Entertainment, Conversations with Celebrities , talking cinema, films , books and lifestyle trends
SRIYA LENKAAs the world grooves to K Pop, the idols and Artists are not only household names but with a global fandom that’s unmatchable.
Fans across time zones and geographies are bound by a sacred and loyal allegiance , from the BTS “Army”, The Seventeen “Carats”, The Blackpink “Blinks” or the TXT “Moa’s”, K Pop has emerged as the most heard and sold musical genre across the world.
From Odisha to Seoul, 18 year old Shreya Lenka is living the dream of millions as she becomes India’s first K POP Idol as the fifth member of the girl group “Black Swan”. The teenager who was selected along with Gabriela Dalcin from Brazil through an audition programme organised by DR Music ( BlackSwan’s Music Company) admits the past few weeks have been a blur, as she juggles between practice sessions, media interviews and felicitations. “I am overwhelmed and honestly it’s still a dream for me that my dream come true”, says Shreya who goes by her stage name Shriya.
A trained Odissi dancer, Shriya got interested in K Pop after a friend made her listen to EXO’S smash hit Growl in 2016, “I used to watch Korean Dramas but when my friend made me listen to “Growl” by EXO, I was mesmerised. The artists , their energy , how they conducted themselves on stage , the ecstatic crowd, was really something else and I wanted to see myself as part of this world. I started researching about K pop, understanding it but there were only offline auditions and I used to wonder how can I even try being part of this magical world”.
As offline auditions opened up in 2020, Shriya devoted herself to auditioning , working on her vocals by training in Hindustani Classicl music to get her pitch right. After a year of auditions the opportunity presented itself in the form DR Music’s “CYNGUS” a six month long global search project to find a replacement after the exit of Hyeme.
Shriya admits “it was tough , 4000 participants which comedown to 23, then four and am glad that they chose both Gabi and me, we had become friends and worked like a team and I can’t wait to share what we have planned as BLACK SWAN gears up for it’s Epic Comeback”.
However what makes Black Swan which earlier went by the name “Rania” unique is the diversity. It’s multicultural and multinational group .While Youngheun and Judy are Koreans, Fatou is Senegalese , Leia Brazilian. Shriya says it’s this very aspect of the group which is inspiring and motivating for aspiring artists.
“We all want more opportunities and want the world to come together, we at BLACK SWAN have a line “ we are BLACK SWAN’S not by skin, colour, age or nationality but by talent and uniqueness that unites people”. She further adds that her “seniors” have been more than welcoming, “it’s not just Gabi and me who are learning from them , they are learning from us too, they have a seeking spirit”.
However living the idol life translates as a lot of hard work and dedication, a commitment to stay on top of your game and constant improvisation.
“ It’s a lot of hard work, there are singing and dancing lessons, you have to constantly practise and up your game .There are no short cuts, there is a lot of emphasis on body and weight management. To conduct yourselves on and off stage, you need be an ‘Idol’ in every sense of the word.
But do understand there is fierce competition and everyone is equally dedicated and hardworking. The vibe is palpable and you only want to give and do your best’
As Black Swan gears up to present their new song, Shriya who will soon be leaving for Seoul having transitioned from trainee to idol hopes to bring her group to tour her home country.
‘They are very fascinated and loved the Chicken Curry I cooked for them, and we will be more than happy to perform here’.
fauda star tsahi halevi on his india visiit
the popularity of fauda
the politics of separation
anupam tripathi gets candid on life post squid game
his beginnings in new delhi
working in south korean television
his sharukh khan connection
singer composer amaal mallik talks about recreating rd burman's kya yeh hi pyaar hai
his compositions for bachchan panday and radhey shyaam
8 eights in the industry
future collaborations
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vaani kapoor talks about depicting the trans community in chadigar kare aashiqui
getting recognition as an actor
shamshera with ranbir kapoor
actor sanam saeed talks about reuniting with zindagi gulzar hai co star fawad khan and her kind of films
why she regards tabu and vidya balan has role models
shruti haasan talks about salaar with prabhas her amazon series best seller
pay parity and representation of women
carrying the legacy of her surname
collaborating with boyfriend shantanu hazarika
saqib saleem on reprising mohinder amarnath in 83
asking kabir khan to cast him, working with ranveer singh
MEET THE GREATEST SHOWMAN RANVEER SINGH AS WE DISCUSS 83 , HIS METHOD, HIS FAME AND FANDOM
praineeti chopra completes ten years in the industry
discusses how 2021 was a defining year
lessons learnt and unlearnt
best advise from sister priyanka chopra and her tv debut
AS THE WORLD RIDES THE KOREAN OR HALLYU WAVE
I SPEAK TO KOREAN DOSTS WHO LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT INDIA
WE DISCUSS THEIR INFLUENCES , AS TWO KOREANS WHAT THEY MAKE OF INDIA'S LOVE FOR ALL THINGS KOREAN
SINGER ARMAAN MALIK SPEAKS ABOUT HIS FOURTH ENGLISH SINGLE YOU
HIS SUCCESS, FANDOM AND FUTURE PLANS.. A COLLABORATION WITH BTS
THE SINGER TELLS ME HOW A GRAMMY AWARD IS IMPORTANT BUT NOT THE ONLY YARD STICK FOR SUCCESS
actor ayshmann khurrana gets candid about the success of " chandigarh kare ashiqui" choosing films with a message ..breaking social taboos// the actor says he wants to play an action hero
FILMMAKER RAJAMOULI, ACTORS JR NTR AND RAM CHARAN TALK ABOUT RRR
THE MAKING OF AN EPIC
THE DELAYS, FAN EXPECTATIONS
THE ATMOSPHERE ON SET AND MORE
singers raftaar and rashmeet kaur speak about their chartbuster ghana kasoota
their musical journey and influences
indi pop and creating anthems
in conversation with team UB40 as they take a walk down memory lane on their classic hits such as red red wine to re inventing themselves.. the current music scene and the future
chunky panday talks about reinventing himself
his three decades in the film industry, daughter ananya;s success , nepotism and more
author tahira kashyap on being her latest book seven sins of being a mother
from leaving her baby behind at a gym to contacting her ex crush she says her husband ayushmann has no problem with her disclosing their personal life
rani mukherji gets candid on her 25 years in the ilm industry
bunty babli 2 and her craft
NEHA DHUPIA TALKS ABOUT HER SECOND CHILD, MOTHER HOOD, BEING BODY SHAMED
POST NATAL DEPRESSION AND WHY MOTHERS SHOULD PUT THEMSELVES FIRST
vidyut jammwal talks about his engagement and forthcoming wedding
his films, choice of projects and international projects
BROTHERS ARMAAN AND AMAAL MALLIK TALK MUSIC, THEIR COLLABORATIONS , FAN DOM AND SIBLING REVELRY
brothers armaan and amaal malik get candid about their latest barsaat
their collaborations , fandom and more
ITS 21 YEARS SINCE THEIR GRAND SLAM VICTORY THE LEE HESH PARTNERSHIP MADE HEADLINES AND THEN CAME TE SPLIT THE TWO PLAYERS PARTED WAYS
NOW THEY ARE ALL SET TO GET CANDID ABOUT THEIR JOURNEY
MOMENTS , THE REGRETS , THE BIG WINS AND LOSSES
" I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE TALKED THINGS OVER , WE HAD A LOT MANY YEARS LEFT TO PLAY"
BREAK POINT HAS BEEN DIRECTED BY NITISH AND ASHWINY IYER TIWAR
IS STREAMING ON ZEE5
ACTORS RICHA CHADHA AND ALI FAZAL GET CANDID ON THEIR LATEST COLLABORATION VIRUS 2062 FOR SPOTIFY
THEIR FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY
THEIR CRAFT AND CINEMA AND WORKING TO GETHER
Kunaal Kapoor Dino Morea Drashti Dhami Get Candid on The Empire playing historical characters the challenges and the person from history they want to meet with
ma anand sheela in her latest book " by her own rules " recounts her life post leaving rajneeshpuram, being unfairly accused her unconditoonal love for bhagwan rajneesh, being slandered , her word of advise to priyanka chopra and alia bhatt who plan to star in a movie on her
actress kiara advani gets candid about playing dimple cheema in shershaah the challenges of playing a real life character
her chemistry with co star sidharth malhotra
her next few projects and finally being her due as an actor
ACTOR SIDHARTH MALHOTRA GETS CANDID ABOUT HIS LATEST " SHERSHAAH " WHICH HE DESCRIBES AS HIS LABOUR OF LOVE
THE TRAINING AND GETTING UNDER THE SKIN OF THE CHARACTER THE ACTOR ANSWERS FAN QUESTION AND SENDS SHOUT OUT TO ALL FAUJI KIDS
actor kabir bedi's book the stories i must tell gives an insight into the actor's life be it his fist interview with the Beatlles for all india radio
his fame as an international star as sandokan , as the series is all set for a remake with Turkish star can yaman Kabir Bedi narrates his foray into hollywood starring in the bond film Octopussy, meeting Micheal Caine, Audrey Heburn
his love for actress Praveen Babi and his helplessness ate her downward spiral
the actor talks about his love affairs , heartbreaks and in own words anyone who survives bollywood deserves an oscar
actors siddharth and parvathy get candid on their collaboration in maniratnam's navarasa,
their fear factor, the changing narratives in cinema
actor kriti sanon talks about her latest film Mimi, headlining a project, audience acceptance
pankaj tripathi divulges how after waiting for work , work comes his way effortlessly
the actors talk about their on screen chemistry and how it helps to work with people you are comfortable with
actors vikrant massey and kirti kharbanda on their latest film 14 phere
their characters, the roles which appeal to them, their crazy break up and hook up strories
actor vikrant massey also talks about the controversies surrounding haseen dillrubba
actor taapsee pannu and team haseen dillruba decode the film talk about the unfair reviews and contriversies
the actor says the idea of feminism has now been warped and as an actor its right of way to depict thungs that exist in society and around us
the actor along with so star harshwardhan rane says how intimate scenes are most mechnanical
and when asked about trending on twitter thiswas her response
actor priyamani speaks about the success of the family man 2, the classic question lonavala mein kya ho
she also tells us how shuchi her character is most hated...and the trolling she has been subject too for playing her
a huge fan of k dramas the actor tells us what drew her into the k drama universe and her favourites #songjoongki #jichangwook #leedongwook
actor filmmaker singer farhan akhtar discusses his upcoming toofan with puja talwar and his favourite boxing movies
the actor compares the gruelling training that went in but admits bhaag milkha bhaag was his toughest film till date
his directorial debut dil chahta hai completes 20 years this august the actor is clear how he will never remake the film ever
he gives us an update on don 3 and we discuss the new censorship norms
ACTOR VIDYA BALAN GETS CANDID ON THE SUCCESS OF SHERNI, HOW SHE HAS CHOSEN TO BREAK STEREOTYPES, HOW BEING A SUCCESSFUL WOMEN OPEN YOU UP TO JUDGEMENT
HER FIRST AUDITION FOR PARINEETA BEING HER TOUGHEST MOMENT
HOW PLAYING HER NAMESAKE ALWAYS WORKS IN HER FAVOUR, FROM PAA TO KAHANI TO NOW SHERNI
HOW KAHANI WAS HER TOUGHEST ROLETO DATE
actress sharddha kapoor on reprising sridevi in chaalbaaz in lodon and nagin 2
working with ranbir kapoor
her beauty hacks
her struggles
will you tell your partner you cheated on them? what according to you is love team haseen dilruba spill the beans and warn you what would it be like if you dated anyone of them
saying it the way it is actress neena gupta at her candid best as she says " my book is a way of telling my truth since all that was being written was rubbish", she talks about her book, her journey from delhi to bombay, waiting for the big break , she calls out the inequalities and disparities which exist and after her telling post " on seeking work" Neena Gupta talks about being the most sought after actor now ....
actor ahaana kumra talks about her journey from lucknow to mumbai , being the outsider and carving a niche
she talks about the mindset which exists and the one change she wants to see in the industry
actress vidya balan in conversation with puja talwar discusses sherni, being a feminist in progress , breaking away from stereo types and why you would never see her dancing in the alps
Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee Talks about the success of Sandeep Pinky Farar, OTT Vs theatres, his take on censorship and how he feels everyone is a star today
the sultans of swing maestro joe walsh and ustad amjad ali khan talk about their latest collaboration Prayers
Joe Walsh also talks abt the iconic rock anthem of all time Hotel California and its timelessness ... so what makes a song an anthem listen in
after the hit the greatest show man starring Hugh Jackman, micheal gracey talks about his latest pink the documentary all i know so far ... he speaks about his observations of the singer and his next a biopic on robbie williams
Actor Sunil Grover Gets Candid from Guthi to headlining a series .. he talks about his 26 years in the industry , not getting parts , challenges and his fave comics
Actor Sharib Hashmi Talks About The Family Man 2 , working with Manoj Bajpayee, His character JK Talpde and how OTT has resurrected his career
Actor Arjun Kapoor Gets Candid on His 9 Year Journey in Films. talks about the success of sandeep pinky frar, about his life being under the scanner, critics and trolls
Actor Huma Qureshi gets candid about her film journey, her choice of narratives, choosing the parts she does. She speaks about her latest series Maharani, Critic response to The Army of The Dead as well as her work raising funds for covid care
the makers of ajeeb dastan share their craft, redefining gender, politics , caste as well as marriage in their latest anthology
Shaan Takes a Walk down memory lane recounting his 25 years, his hits from Dil Chahta Hai To Don, His New Single , How music today lacks recall value
Actor Sonu Sood Says he is no messiah , as he helps millions , he discusses his foundation , on ground work and challenges as well as his views on politics
ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE RAKUL SINGH, ARJUN KAPOOR AND NEENA GUPTA DIVULGE FAMILY SECRETS, THEIR FAVOURITE REEL AND REAL MOMENTS
THEIR REASONS FOR DOING SARDAR KA GRANDSON AND HOW TO STAY SANE IN THESE TIMES
Singer Suresh Wadkar takes a walk down memory lane discussing his favourite composition , what ails music today, staying relevant and his foray into devotional music
Actor Gurmeet Choudhury gets candid on his hospital project, from lucknow to nagpur to patna the actor has helped set up 100 bed hospitals. Helping and supporting health care workers the actor says the current crisis is no less than a war, his struggles and taking inspiration fm sonu sood
Singer Arjun Kanungo talks about his acting debut in Salman Khan’s Radhe.His music and the challenges for singers in Bollywood. he shares his love for K Pop #kpop
Shruti Haasan Gets Candid on Mental Health, Therapy and Anxiety.Undoing the stigmas attached and empowering women and their narratives
Rathi Jafer Director InKo, The Indo-Korean Cultural & Information Centre in conversation with Puja Talwar talks about the Korean Wave, the cultural and emotive links between the two countries, future plans and what does it mean going forward
Show Host, Actor and Sneaker Collector Rannvijay Singha gets candid on his new show, life in lockdown, the downside of social media, the IPL, his favourite cricketers and what he learnt from cricket
Actor Arjun Bijlani gets candid on Khatron Ke Khiladi, Working With Mouni Roy and why he feels Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are the best couple
‘if you have sung it you need to be the face of it, Singers Sunidhi Chauhan and Shalmali on Here is Beautiful, music scene in India, why female singers are given a raw deal and here them sing their best songs
Actress Kubbra Sait Shares her three secrets for success, how fame is overrated , meaning of success, social media and censorship
Composer Yashraj Mukhate gets candid on his viral hits Biggini Shoot, Rasode Mein Kya Hai To Pawri. Talks about his influences , how he does not want to create music for bollywood
In this candid conversation actor John Abraham gets candid about his journey, being an outsider, making the films be believes in and fitness
Ekta Kapoor, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana and Guneet Monga talk about their initiative , Indian Women Rising, Their Film Bittu and Female Representation in Cinema
Singer Shreya Ghoshal Gets Candid on her two decades in the music industry. Shares her fave numbers from Dola Re to Pihu Bole To Ghar More Pardesia
Mithila Palkar Gets Candid On her journey from being a content creator to netflix’s fave girl around town
Content Creator Ranveer Allahbadia Gets Candid On His Journey, His Mantra For Success, His Most Favourite Guest and The One Guest he wants on His show. He Shares how he is still an engineering student at heart and a business man.. listen in
Cricketer Suresh Raina Gets Candid about world cup 2011, dressing room secrets, moments on and off field , retirement, ipl and life post cricket
The timeless asha bhosle takes a walk down memory lane, singing for RD Burman, Being insync with Kishore Kumar, the composers who encouraged her, why she misses Mohd Rafi in studios. The problem with compositions today
OTT’s breakout star Ritwik Bhowmik Gets candid on his journey from Bandish Bandits, His Fandom and the road ahead with puja talwar
Neha Dhupia Gets Candid on Her short film Step out, trolls, domestic violence, as well as an insight into Bollywood’s best kept secrera
Malavika Mohanan gets candid on her co stars tells us about her most annoying co star, the struggle in bollywood, nepotism and breaking away fm it
Actor Arjun Rampal gets candid on his trials, his struggles, his latest film Nail Polish , lockdown and surviving Bollywood
Maheep Kapoor and Seema Khan talk about the success of The fabulous lives of bollywood wives
Actress Kritika Kamra talks about Tandav, being judged for TV, struggles and why she loves being a fashion icon
Pratik Gandhi and Shreya Dhanwanthary on the Scam That Changed Their Life and The Turning point in their careers
In this episode actor amit sadh gets candid about his struggles, mental health and sucess
Actor Richa Chadha Gets Candid on Controversies, Why she feels actors should get royalty, her marriage plans and her non resolution for 2021
Dia Mirza Takes a walk down memory lane with me as she discusses the life changing moment since winning the Asia Pacific Title, Her journey in the industry and today as an eco warrior
Actor Sonu Sood On His New Book I Am No Messiah, his journey, his work during the lockdown