usha uthup

The singing swinging sari, as she is called, joins Fame Gurukul as a celebrity singer in tonight's episode of the Sony reality show. And pop queen Usha Uthup is loving every moment of it.

"I have been associated with the show from its very start," she says. "I may not be in-your-face on the show, but I was part of the audition process. Participant Qazi Touqeer was selected by me in the Delhi rounds. Now, I see him in totally different light."

Along with Gurukul participants, Uthup will belt out her popular film numbers, including the Shaan title track and Rambha Ho.

"I have been rehearsing with them for the last three days and have been tuning in and following them on the show occasionally. The fighting processes that they have developed to overcome the odds is something to be marvelled at," she says.

Bapi's song

Kolkata-based Uthup is on a short visit to Mumbai. "Besides Fame Gurukul, I am also doing a recording for Bappi Lahiri." Though she was the original Indipop singer, Uthup never got her due in Bollywood. Most of her film tracks were chartbusters.

"Yes, I would love to do more Hindi playback singing," says the pop queen. "I was supposed to render the item number track in the recently released film, Parineeta. I was asked by the producers, but eventually, it was sung by Rekha," she says.

Live shows

"But I keep myself busy with my live performances. Last month, I was at the London Fair, where I was described as Shirley Bassey in a sari!"

From initially singing along with her sisters (the Sami sisters), to singing in dozens of languages, Uthup's charm still endears along with the silk saris, gajras and glass bangles. "It goes along with me everywhere," she claims.
Incidentally, Kailash Kher and Harbhajan Mann have also appeared on Fame Gurukul as celeb singers.