Disney Channel Comes Searching For A Pop Star In Mumbai

Close To One Lakh Tweens Register For The Nationwide Contest

Mumbai, May 24, 2008: Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana - The Big Pop Star Dream auditions were held today at Nirmal Life Style, Mumbai. 400 finalists, selected from over 2000 kids during the second round closed door auditions held earlier this week, sang and grooved to hits and songs from Disney Channel Original Movies - High School Musical & High School Musical 2. Each of the finalists got a pop star makeover to brighten up their performance before they went up on-stage to live their dream of performing like a pop star. Anushka Manchanda was present to encourage the performances.

These performances will be reviewed by Anushka Manchanda, the pop star of the VIVA band fame. The final winner will feature in a music video that plays out before every show of the new season of Hannah Montana for a whole month. The winner will also get to meet Hannah Montana in US and feature on the cover of the Disney Adventures magazine.

Antoine Villeneuve, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Walt Disney Television International () said, “Hannah Montana - The Big Pop Star dream offers kids across the nation an opportunity to express themselves and pursue their dreams. We are extremely happy to see so many tweens across the country emulate Hannah Montana while they demonstrate their passion for music and dance.”

Disney Channel is touring Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Kolkata to help tweens discover the star within themselves. Disney Channel will fly the four semi-finalists to Mumbai to give them a complete Hannah Montana makeover and record the Hannah Montana title track in Hindi. The vignettes of these four semi finalists’ performances will then be aired on Disney Channel for an audience poll.

One lucky fan among the Disney Channel viewers, who participates in the voting to select the final winner, will also win a chance to accompany the contest winner to meet Hannah Montana in US! Other prizes to be won include guitars, accessories and loads of Hannah merchandise.

Disney Channel’s Big Pop Star Dream final auditions are being held in Kolkata and Hyderabad on May 17 & 18 and in New Delhi and Mumbai on May 24 & 25.

About Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana: Originally from Tennessee, MILEY STEWART now lives in Malibu, California, with her brother and widowed father ROBBY, a songwriter. Miley traverses school life as an everyday "tween" but, unbeknownst to the other students, actually lives a double life as pop singer HANNAH MONTANA. Traveling the world, entertaining fans with the music written by her manager/dad, Miley lives a life that any kid dreams to have. But, while fame has its perks - limousines, cool clothes and hanging with celebrities - Miley most wants to be treated like any other teen and maintain the typical life led by kids her age.

About Disney Channel: About Disney Channel: Disney Channel offers an unparalleled blend of quality Disney entertainment and distinctive programs that kids love and families trust and enjoy. This includes Disney’s movies and series, sitcoms, family dramas and live action adventure stories. The channel’s multi-genre programming is designed to meet hitherto under-served needs of India’s tweens, kids and family audiences, by addressing specific entertainment genre gaps. www.disney.in