The mastermind behind bringing Bollywood to Australia

By Neeru Saluja

His name is synonymous with the biggest Bollywood shows of Australia. Be it the soulful music of singers like the legendary Asha Bhosle, late ghazal king Jagjit Singh, Padamshree Pankaj Udhas, Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Mika Singh, Adnan Sami, the sensational stars from the Dabangg Tour or the non-stop laughter from comedian Kapil Sharma, he has entertained Indo-Australians with his mega concerts since almost two decades.

And now in 2022, he has added another magnificent feather in his cap with the two biggest and successful Bollywood spectacles of the year, the Soulful Soprano Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on 25 June and the King of Comedy Kapil Sharma on 3 September.

Meet Yogesh Sharma, the founder and director of CINESTAR EVENTS™ who believes that ‘entertainment is serious business.’ “When Indian music lovers listen to songs from their favourite singers in my shows, they feel connected to their homeland. I have witnessed all kind of emotions, tears of joy and sadness. I feel responsible for this strong connection, and therefore it can’t be taken casually and bringing quality entertainment becomes a serious business”, says Yogesh.

With this strong mantra, Yogesh keeps his humility and personal touch intact while dealing with the stars, promoters and his team, forming a strong relationship. This is testament to why many A-listed singers and performers prefer to work exclusively with him.

Let’s know more about the showman of Bollywood on how he started his event journey in Australia, what’s his secret to success, how he manages to understand the pulse of his audience and what lies next.

You are the pioneer event organiser to bring mega Bollywood concerts in Australia. How and when did your start your journey?

My journey in Australia started in 2004 when I collaborated with prominent events promoter Mr Ajay Singh for a show featuring Harry Anand, Meghna Naidu, and Jimmy Moses. However, the true origin of this journey stems from my childhood dream of making it big in Bollywood, which almost every Indian has at least once in their life. The pursuit of this dream led me, starry-eyed, all the way from New Delhi to Mumbai back in the early 1990s. Life though had other plans and my whirlwind journey took me from acting to running music recording studios, which enabled me to form deep and long-lasting relationships with some of the biggest and brightest superstars of the industry, including Asha Bhosle, Jagjit Singh, Sonu Nigam, Pankaj Udhas, and many more.

Finally a move to Australia and the untapped potential of the Bollywood show market presented me an opportunity of a lifetime, and the rest is history. At the end of the day, it has been the boundless blessings of God and the everlasting support of my partners (Ritchie Perera/Castle Group, Minu and Rajesh Sharma/Indus Age, and Raj Nizar/Junoon Showbiz), team, family, friends, and dear ones across all these years that have allowed me to become who I am today.

2022 has been a special year for you with two sold out successful concerts – Kapil Sharma and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. What’s your secret to success?

If there’s one thing that has become evident to me throughout life, it is that there is no secret, allaround recipe for success. Luck plays an undeniable factor in success; however, you will notice that those who pour themselves into their work tend to be quite lucky. Hence, my focus, personally, has always been on an uncompromising dedication to achieving excellence in quality, regardless of the day-and-night hard work and sacrifice it demands. Nevertheless, much beyond my own efforts, there are countless people behind the success of our shows, from our incredible partners (Castle Group, Indus Age, and Junoon Showbiz), to our committed team (including my son Ansh Sharma), to our families, our sponsors, loyal supporters, the stars and artists themselves who put on such astonishing performances, and of course, the wonderful Australian audience who have always given our shows tremendous amount of love and support.

Your recent Kapil Sharma’s show was a major sellout entertainer. How did you manage to pull such a massive crowd from all age groups?

Well, it definitely helped that Kapil Sharma and his team are the biggest Indian family entertainers across the globe today. In addition, it was the unprecedented marketing campaign we engaged in the months leading up to the event that attracted such a large and varied mass of audience. Ranging from specialised ticket offers for children, elders, and groups, to innovative advertisements including buses, LED trucks, and LED screens across ICC and Darling Harbour, to social media campaigns generating a never-before-seen level of across-the-board engagement. My team and I brainstormed, strategized, and executed every viable marketing idea we came across to appeal to every Bollywood lover in Sydney, whether it be infants, adults, or senior citizens. Ultimately, appealing such a large mass of humanity to an event relies on larger-than-life presentation which was the bottom-line goal of our marketing campaigns.

Your expertise in concerts and shows ranges from entertaining the audience with singers, actors, comedians to Sufi singers like Rahet Fateh Ali Khan. How do you recognise what the audience wants in Australia?

I still wouldn’t consider myself an expert, nevertheless, experience amounting to close to two decades in the industry grants you the ability to gauge the pulse of your audience and which way the winds are blowing. Australian audiences, in particular, always express a preference for new and fresh forms of entertainment, which means we always need to keep on our toes and avoid stagnancy when it comes to the shows and concerts we organise in Australia. From the necessity to remain relevant is born the creativity to bring novel ideas to Bollywood concerts in Australia, whether it be the Sufi/Qawwali style of the legendary Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, as opposed to mainstream Bollywood music, or the laugh-out-loud comedy of Kapil Sharma, which strays far apart from the typical song-and-dance conventions of Bollywood events.

COVID brought its own kind of challenges, largely impacting the entertainment and events management industry. How did you overcome the challenges brought by COVID?

COVID brought a devastating phase in all of our lives over the past two years. The challenges presented to public health, food systems and the world of work at large were extraordinary. The live entertainment industry proved to be no different; the Australian Government, justifiably so, placed unprecedented restrictions on crowds and gatherings which effectively crippled our business as no concerts or shows could be held while restrictions and lockdowns were in place. Personally, I was blessed that my family and I were all involved in other streams of work which, thankfully, were mostly unhampered. Though COVID brought challenges, I recognised it also brought an opportunity like no other, as our audiences were starved from experiencing the magic of Bollywood live, and once the danger of COVID would subside and the world would begin to open up once again, business OFFICIAL would be ready for a boom so my team and I continued to make sure we’d strike while the iron is hot, which is exactly what we saw with the Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Kapil Sharma tours this year.

What’s the biggest myth people have about organising Bollywood concerts?

The biggest myth people have about organising Bollywood concerts is that it’s all about the stars, glamour and Bollywood talks. There is a lot of hard work and sleepless nights that go on behind the scenes. Even if you are supported by a team, you need to add your personal touch and keep the team bonded together. There is a tough competition in the market and our team is constantly designing new marketing and social media strategies to bring quality and innovative entertainment.

As an event organiser, while sleeping, eating and drinking I’m continuously planning a concert in my mind. When I sign up an artist, I abstain from drinking and partying to remain focussed on my show.

What sets you apart from other event organisers?

I’m not qualified to answer this question (smiles). The only thing I could say that sets me apart from my contemporaries in the event promotion industry is that I have the most years of experience, beginning all the way back in 2004, and even further back into the 90’s. Regardless of my experience, I continue to learn and be inspired from my fellow event organisers in Australia and the innovations they bring to our industry.

Share with us some anecdotes or memorable moments with your favourite stars.

In my showbiz journey, there have been many memorable moments that have touched my heart. But the most recent moment was after my concert with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Once he finished the show and came down the stage, I was there to welcome and congratulate him and he spontaneously kissed and hugged me like a child. I was taken aback by his loving gesture as he couldn’t withhold the excitement and the applause he received from the audience.

I can also never forget the humility and generosity of the late ghazal legend Jagjit Singh. I was on a tight budget for his show and couldn’t afford a business class flight from Melbourne to Brisbane. I requested him if I can book an economy seat for him which he had no issues. When we took the flight, I noticed he was sitting in business class which he spent his own money without putting me out of pocket.

After the success of the show, I wanted to buy him an expensive watch. I took him shopping and after he saw the cost for the watches which ranged from $500 to $5000, he took me to a street shop and asked me to buy him a scarf for $5! He wore it on his neck all the time and said this was the best gift he received, and before leaving for India gave me the scarf as his memory.

What lies in the future? How do you plan to keep Indian Australian audience entertained?

I believe to continue to bring quality shows to Australia that include the favourites of the audience and unique concept shows. Bollywood is not only about the top listed stars but there is lot of upcoming talent that needs to be showcased in Australia and South Asia Pacific.

I’m currently in India where I’m studying the market, developing a strategy for timely events and meeting future stars that I plan to bring to Australia. Stay tuned for future events and a heartfelt thanks to my audience for believing in me.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Live in Concert Pics