Toshi Sabri looked a little different this time when he came to Jeddah for a concert held last week. Actually, it was a very positive and striking change. He has started emulating the “macho man” look with slightly long hair - not unlike an Italian “hero” - that is making hearts swoon. “Are you going to do films?” Saudi Gazette asked him, for the reason why he has changed his appearance. “No no,” he replied with a smile. “Actually, I have been weight-lifting for my fans so that I can look good to them when I perform. I spend a number of hours each day in the gym.” Unlike Toshi's boyish look, his younger brother Sharib - who also performed at the event last week - sports a buzz cut, not unlike that of Aamir Khan's in “Ghajini”. The young Sabri brothers came across as friendly, confident and straight-forward. The mystical bond of brotherhood that this handsome duo has is cherished by their fans. To be a duo, it is very important to be united, and the Sabri brothers are very much supportive of each other. One is nothing without other. “It was Sharib's ‘Mahe Ve', which made me heartthrob after I sung it. He composed it and I sang it,” Toshi told Saudi Gazette in the interview. “Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero. He is a friend given by nature.” “Now the trend in Bollywood has changed,” added Sharib. “No composer gives a chance to just a singer. Everyone composes and sings too. Actually, it is the composer who make the whole song that requires so much effort and the singer takes away the credit for it by just giving his vocals.” Specializing in many genres ranging from Qawwali to Pop, the Sabri brothers were trained under their father Ustad Akram Sabri – an esteemed classical and Ghazal singer. “We have inherited our passion for singing from him. We decided to achieve our goal to become successful singers so we focused on a career in singing from a very initial stage of our lives,” remarked Sharib. The duo are versatile enough to perform classical and pop simultaneously and manage to engage the audience with full energy once on stage.“Sharib arrived in Mumbai before me in 2004”, said Toshi. “I was living in Hong Kong and Singapore at that time looking for a singing job. I arrived in Mumbai in 2006 to look for work as a singer.” The duo started their careers with reality TV before moving on to playback singing. Sharib - who is four years younger than Toshi - auditioned for Zee TV's “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” and Toshi was a finalist in Amul “Star Voice of India” which kick-started his career and ensured that he has never looked back since then. Recently, they participated in “Music Ka Maha Muqabla”, aired on Star Plus, which would be the fourth reality show for both of them. Toshi was a part of the Mika's Blasters team which was eliminated early. He did all in his power and performed his most famous song “Maahi'” in one round. Compared to other singers, Toshi clearly proved in the show that he deserves whatever he has achieved in Bollywood. When asked why the captain of the team and singer Mika was so aggressive during the show, Toshi replied straight-forwardly, “It was all for the sake of TRP (Television Rating Point - the criterion that indicates popularity)...Mika can do anything. He is a dear friend.” Sharib was a member of “Shankar's Rockstars”, the team which won the show. “It was a good experience for me as my team won. I realized the value of being a trained vocalist as Mika always left the decision on Toshi in show saying ‘you are trained singer…you know better than me, so take your decision,” said Sharib. After participating in the reality show “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa”, Sharib got the opportunity to assist music directors Jatin-Lalit while working on “Fanaa” and “Hum Tum”, and he realized his newfound flair for music direction. “Actually, no reality show can make or ruin a star. If you have talent, you will achieve what you want. Losing a reality show does not mean that you are not talented,” remarked Sharib. Toshi thinks that the viewers have stopped accepting new talents. “Now they remember and focus on those only who are already famous. It doesn't matter what a performer does, if he is already acknowledged. There is lots of competition and viewers are tired of watching new people,” he said. Are reality shows really fixed? Toshi smiled and replied: “Grapes are sour. People who don't win, criticize other in this way. Be a man and accept the result. I was out many times in such shows but I never griped.” When asked why judges sometimes seem very harsh in their comments in such shows - even insulting the participants at times - Toshi agreed that their behavior is often unfounded. “Yes they insult participants and sometimes talk extra, and this should not happen. Many times, participants are better and more experienced than the judges,” he said. Toshi has been in the music business for 15 years. His parents are urging him to marry now. “I am 26 right now and my parents are searching for a wife for me...I will accept their decision,” he remarked. “I believe in blessings, especially from parents. I will go with their choice. When I was performing Umrah, I heard many voices of the people who recognize me and called me by my name. Surprisingly, some were Arabs and one such among them was an old lady. I went to her as she could not come to me. She liked my behavior and gave me lots of blessings which were very precious for me. I am always seeking prayers.” Toshi and Sharib are busy planning their new music compositions these days but what's about their own album? The duo replied: “When we launch our own album, every song will be as good as ‘Mahe Ve'!”
