Dreaming the Night Away

By Vanshika Vipin

HOUSTON: Last Friday, August 12, Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif, Parineeti Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapur, Varun Dhawan along with film director and producer Karan Johar and rapper Badshah created frenzy in Houston by reflecting the magic of Indian Cinema live on stage. They were here to rock with their very first and only show in Texas, one of the most-awaited concerts of the year, the ‘Dream Team’.

Dream Team, which has been highly spoken about since a while, started with a bang at the Toyota Centre. A day prior, these Bollywood stars gripped masses at a friendly press conference. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, attended the press conference and honored the stars with a Senate Proclamation for their dedication towards Indian Entertainment. The stars gladly answered the queries bombarded by their media fans. Alia Bhatt was sporting enough to sing “Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki”, on a special request. Darshak Thacker of Krishna Sounds managed the sound arrangement at this press conference. The honor was also given to Rajender Singh, for keeping Indian culture vibrant in USA through Bollywood Shows.

Rajender Singh, a legendary show promoter from Star Promotions has successfully brought over 95 local major events and International shows in the past two decaded, to cities across North America. To name a few, Shah Rukh Khan’s SLAM and Amitabh Bachchan’s  Unforgettable, Anupam Kher’s hit “Mera Who Matlab Nahi Tha”, Vishal-Shekhar concert earlier this year, and the historic “Chanakya”, are events that have left Houston mesmerized. Rajender has garnered an esteemed reputation within the entertainment industry and won the respect of friends, fans, business associates and industry legends. Dream Team, one of the greatest entertainment events of 2016 is a two week tour, of Bollywood’s new generation of shining celebs.

Tickets had been selling hot for the Dream Team as fans were excited to see their favorite stars up close and personal. Excitement started filling the air outside the Toyota Centre much before the concert kick-started at 9pm, the action outside the hall was just a beginning to the enthralling and mesmerizing experience that each member of the audience would depart with. The show started with a bang and each star performed individually on their hit numbers. Their meticulous and superlative performance indicated that a lot of sweat has been shed to achieve this. Each star thrilled the audiences in their own unique way. Aditya Roy Kapur wooed the audiences by playing a guitar while Varun Dhawan had a masculine entry by being suspended in the air. The ultra-chic and charismatic Katrina Kaif created a sensation when she walked amongst the audience. The astonishing visual symmetry and rhythm of the backdrop dancers was a solid proof of the stagerring and incredible choreography. Karan Johar made his mark by interacting with the audience and charming them with his wit. A funny portion of the show was the display of a pre-recorded video where the stars were seen answering some slapstick Google questions. The audiences were astounded with stunning pyrotechnic effects and a breathtaking extravaganza of light and sound, as lasers and beams of light illuminated the hall, complimented by a spectacular fireworks display.

The grand finale was such a visual delight with arresting and remarkable performances from each star. Katrina and Siddharth swayed to their latest number “Kala Chasma” while Aditya whirled on “Batameez Dil”. Varun and Alia shaked their leg to the romantic track “Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki” and Parineeti dazzled the audiences by dancing to her sister Priyanka’s “Desi Girl”. Badshah, in his peculiar substantial style performed to “DJ Wale Babu”. And what a magnificient way it was to conclude the perfomances with the ever green “Say Shawa Shawa”, and that complimented with a burst of confetti and balloons floating in the air. A fitting conclusion to an outstanding performance was the large standing ovation from the audience. The concert truly weaved magic and fan frenzy, enthralling thousands of fans past midnight.

Karan Johar thanked the sponsors and also called upon the organizers Rajender Singh and Prria Haider on stage. A visibly ecstatic Rajender thanked the Houstonians for their support. In a conversation with this writer after the show, he mentioned that this was undoubtedly one of the top five shows of his life, with eight stars being a part of this historic event.  He stated, “The stars were very co-operative and easy to work with, and their professionalism and hard work has reflected in their performances. Audience reactions cannot be faked and I have been getting only positive feedbacks so far. With such a tremendous support I can only think of getting more of such magnificient shows to Houston”. At the end of his speech he thanked Houston once again for its support.

Dream Team fever has soared sky-high and will be one of the most cherished memories sure to make Houstonians nostalgic soonish.

For Feedback and details on upcoming shows contact Rajender Singh @ 281-222- 4500 or visit www.StarPromotionInc.com