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Indian Idol recap: Episode 35

2009-01-02T23:13:00.000-08:00

Aaj hamare Chang ki Shaadi hain

Chang was wearing a sehra today. Hussain told us that his co-host Chang is desperate to get married and Koi bhi ladki chalegi. But Chang corrected him and said that the girl has to have a heart of gold. Last night was the Shaadi special show. The girls were wearing beautiful traditional attires, but the hosts wore black suits. But why? Hussain told us that they were protesting the public’s decision to eliminate girls. That is quite thoughtful. Next, we had the hottest of all contestants Rajdeep Chatterjee going at Abhijit Sawant’s house to wish him for Christmas. Abhijit confessed that he liked Rajdeep’s voice the most. An overwhelmed Rajdeep thanked his favorite singer and told him that Abhijit is his inspiration. Abhijit promised that he will cheer for Rajdeep in the finals!

Rajdeep is a mama’s boy

The hot favorite Rajdeep sang Maine jise abhi abhi dekha hain from Kal Ho Na Ho. All the judges showed him green light, but Javed said that it was not his best performance. Even Kailash was not looking pleased. Sonali said she just wants to encourage him and Anu praised his efforts and said ‘you’re the find of Indian Idol.’ In the end, when the hosts asked Rajdeep’s mother about his marriage, she said that it will be completely Rajdeep’s choice. Rajdeep sang a Bengali sang for his mother and went back to the pavilion a happy man. Bhanu sang the number Kya kiya re sanam. Javed showed him the green light and praised him. but Kailash felt this was not his best performance. Anu didn’t show him any light, and asked him to work harder. There was a surprise waiting for Bhanu as the hosts got his parents on the stage. An emotional Bhanu cried buckets of tears as he introduced his parents to the audience. We should start calling him the ‘melodramatic Bhanu.’

Mohit aur Torsha : Kya jodi hain

Mohit Lalwani sang Yeh jawani, hain diwani. Javed liked his performance, so did Kailash. Sonali found him rendition smooth and fantastic. But Anu didn’t show him green or red light and told him that he was off tune at some places. Next, it was Torsha singing the romantic song Jeevan saathi hum. Torsha didn’t hear a lot of praises as Javed felt she needs to scale up. Anu shouted that there was no sur, or expression. Sonali said politely that she needs to scale up.

Prasenjit ko koi mil gaya

Prasenjit, the super talent of Indian Idol sang Koi Mil Gaya.i All the judges showed him the green light. Sonali crooned Ala re ala Prosenjit Ala. Kailash said that he likes his singing a lot. Anu said that he has proved that he is a singer today. Kapil Thapa sang ‘you’re my love.’ Javed showed him the red light. Kailash pointed out that he was off tune while Anu said that the song needed a lot of attitude, which was missing in his performance. Koi baat naheen, fauji bhai knows how to battle it out!

Saurabhi Ki Barat nikal padi

Sourabhee looked beautiful in a glittering maroon sari. She sang the typical shaadi number Sabki Baratein aai. The judges were spellbound. Anu came up the stage and declared that she was the new ‘Femal Indian Idol.’ Javed found her rendition sweet. Kailash praised her sincerity. Kuldeep chose the song Badan pe sitare lapete huye. He got mixed reaction from the judges as Anu showed him the red light and said that his ‘throw of voice’ was not romantic enough.

Bhavya spreads chandni with her melodious voice

Bhavya was dressed in a pink lehenga just like Sridevi in Chandni. She sang mere haathon mein nau-nau chudiyan hain. Javed showed her the red light, when Anu protested it. Anu said that she was good, an angry Javed said that the khara sur was missing. Even Sonali and Kailash agreed with Anu this time. It was almost going to be the battle of the judges, when in the end Javed agreed with Anu and wished Bhavya a great future. Remo sang aisa pehli baar hua hain, and as usually failed to impress the judges.

War!

2009-01-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

Annu and Javed clash again and this time over the verdict for Bhavya

Girls are making girls lose: Shini

2008-12-26T22:25:00.001-08:00

Simple and sweet bahus maybe the rage on Indian soap operas, but the same cannot be said about their counterparts on reality shows. Shini, the third girl to be eliminated in quick succession from Indian Idol, feels her bahu image worked against her. “Maybe because the people identified with me as a married woman, they were not very keen to vote for me,” she said. “Also, as a bahu, there was a limit to what I could do on stage and what I could wear.”

We caught up with Shini soon after her elimination to find out what she thought about the voting system, about Sonali’s tears and about Annu Malek’s surprise offer.

Are you angry that a girl has been eliminated yet again on Indian Idol?

It was another shocking result round. I’m very upset that the girls are not getting the support they deserve. I know Indians appreciate music and they can differentiate between a good singer and a bad, but I feel something somewhere is missing and as a result the girls are losing out.

First it was Ananya, now it’s me. After all the trials and tribulations I had to suffer, after all the hard work that I put in, I feel everything is bekaar now. My dreams were very big. I wanted to be crowned Indian Idol. I mean, it is the first time that a married girl has reached so far in any reality show, and coupled with my strong performances, I thought there was all likelihood of me getting to the top. And then this happened.

Do you have anything to say about the voting system?

The girls are making us girls lose. All the female viewers are only voting for the boys. They are not bothered about any of us on the show, though we might be singing better than the boys. According to me, all the remaining girls have the talent to make it to the Top 5. But the girls out there will not help the contestants get there.

But something good did come out of it all. Annu Malek promised he will work with you in the future.

Yes, it is a huge opportunity for me. Not everyone who has been eliminated has been offered such a great opportunity like I have been. Annuji has promised me that he will work with me soon and that he will get Kailashji to sing with me on a song that will be written by Javedji. That is like the wildest of my wildest dreams coming true. Maybe I would not have got such a great offer even if I had won the title. So, in a way, I think I am lucky, too.

Do you think your spat with Bhanu could have led to this elimination

I don’t know. I don’t think so. That was a very difficult time for me. I feel now that I should not have reacted to whatever he said because once I spoke up about it, it spiralled out of my control.

Initially, everyone was on my side. Then, suddenly, they all began siding with Bhanu and I, who had said the truth, was isolated. I felt like I had accidentally come onto a fighting show and not a singing show. After all the tension, I was so upset that I could not concentrate on anything, not even my singing. I couldn’t prepare myself to give my best as I always did. And I regret that a lot.

Your grandmother being sick must have also added to your tension. How is she feeling now?

Yes, it was a very strenuous time for me. Not only did I have to put up with the furore over Bhanu, but I was also very worried about my grandmother. I even went to Gwalior to check up on her.

She is feeling much better now and my entire family is rooting for me. I am blessed to have the best wishes of my family and my in laws.

Sonali Bendre was very upset about your elimination.

She has been rooting for girls right from the start. She really wanted a girl to become the Indian Idol. And she was especially very fond of me. Maybe it’s because she is married herself, but she understood me and my predicament the best.

In fact, I was not so upset over my being eliminated as I was at seeing how hurt and upset she was over my being voted out. I was very happy when she came on stage to support me and comfort me. She took away half of my pain with her hug.

Did you expect anyone else to be eliminated in your place?

I wasn’t really thinking about it. But, yes, I guess I did think a couple of others deserved to go out instead of me. Like Sourabhee. She has the image of being India’s Shakira, so she is getting all the votes. But I don’t think she is as hardworking as the rest of us. Or maybe it’s because she has a different target.

Remo, too, is a weak performer. He has energy on stage and he is a good performer, but he has problems with his sur. But I also feel that the day he decides to sing in perfect sur, he will eliminate all the other competition.

Did you talk to your husband after the elimination?

My husband was not able to come for the show because he had to go to work—he is working in a club. So I talked to him immediately after the show. He was very upset, but he also gave me a lot of courage. He told me that as long as he was with me and I had my talent, I would never fail.

Now that we are settled in Mumbai, we will try to make a name for ourselves in the world of music.

What are your plans now?

I haven’t become the Indian Idol, so I’m determined to make it as a playback singer. I will also do a lot of concerts. All the Top 12 have a contract in place with Sony, where they will give us an opportunity to sing in big concerts. And if they like my voice, they may even make an album with me.

I plan to stay in touch with everybody—the contestants and the judges. I will make something of myself.

Girls should not participate in Indian Idol at all

2008-12-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

When Ananya came to Indian Idol, it was with a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Not only did she have to keep up the good name of her family, but she also had to make a name for herself—so that people would know her not as Pandit Birju Maharaj’s pothi, but as Ananya Mishra the singer and performer.

And with standing ovations, exemplary comments from the judges and a flawless gala performance under her belt, the last thing on this 17-year-old’s mind was an early elimination. I caught up with Ananya soon after her vote out and she talked about her journey so far, the friends she will miss and her future plans—all through a veil of tears.

Were you expecting such an early vote out?

Never. Definitely not so early on in the galas. If my elimination had happened during the piano round, I would not have been so upset. My third performance was not so good, it was not my kind of song either.

But my first gala performance was one of the best. Everyone—the contestants, the judges, the Idol crew—they all told me that. The song Hum dil de chuke sanam was such a difficult song to sing live on stage.

Who did you think would get voted out?

When Mohit and I were in the bottom two, I thought he would go. Not because he is a bad singer, but because in the gala my performance was far better than his. When Hussain and Chang had asked us to choose a side, I chose the safe side because I was so sure that I would be safe.

How do you feel now?

I feel bad and angry. I don’t think I deserved to be voted out after such a good performance. I’m also angry with the janta because I don’t know what they are looking for in a singer. Whom do they want as their Indian Idol? It doesn’t look like they want good singers. Now I’m worried that they will vote out good singers like Bhavya and Shini, too.

I’m also feeling very sad that I cannot perform in the next gala. I have not danced on the Idol stage so far and I was going to surprise the audience with three dance performances.

Did you talk to your parents?

Yes, I called up my father immediately. I am very close to my father. I share more things with him than my mother. And he was very, very shocked. He was like, ‘Hello, what happened.’

When I had decided to participate in Indian Idol, my dadaji and nanaji were like why is she doing this. Why does she have to go participate in a reality show. But I wanted to make a name for myself—not as Birju Maharaj’s pothi or Om Prakash Mishra’s beti, but as Ananya Mishra.

Did the judges talk to you?

Yes, they all talked to me off stage. Annuji even pushed the camera people away and said, ‘I am not saying this for the camera. Tu che mahine rok, mera call ayega. You’ll sing for me. You and Bhavya are two of my most favourite singers.’

What do you plan to do now? Will you continue to sing after this?

Yes, I will definitely continue to sing. I am a trained gazal and tumri singer. I used to do performances with Gulam Ali Khan saab and others. I am a professional singer.

I had come to Indian Idol because it was a completely different platform. And you also gain fame really fast here. But it’s ok. Agar yeh nahin, tho kuch aur sahi. Now, I’ll go back and get on with my life, my singing and my dance. And I am sure the fame I’ve gained here will help me with my future, too.

Will you come back to Indian Idol or participate in any other reality shows?

No, I won’t. I feel in reality shows, ek kalakar ki koi izzat nahin hai. I don’t know what the viewers are voting for. In fact, I think girls should not participate in this anymore. The first three Idols were boys and I know for certain the fourth will be a boy, too. So if the janta only want to see boys winning, then why should the girls participate at all?

What will you miss the most in Indian Idol?

Remo and Bhavya. They are my best friends here. I’ve shared so many good times with them. Remo, who is older to me by two months, was crying like a baby when they announced that I was voted out. I will not lose touch with them. I will call them up everyday from now on.

Indian Idol recap: Episode 32

2008-12-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

Today the show was in the grip of retro bukhar. We jumpstarted with a name casting ceremony, wherein Javed was cast as Thakur, Annu as Gabbar Singh and Sonali as Basanti. But the real Sholays were Chang and Hussain who played Jai and Veeru. A loud applause was heard as Bhavya entered the stage as Bhavyakali. She wore an Anarkali dress, similar to the one worn by Madhubala in Mughal-e- azam. She sang the hit number Pyar kiya toh darna kya from the blockbuster movie.

Bhavyakali’s performance was applauded by the audience, but the real prize was yet to come. Hussain surprised Bhavya by getting her brother on stage, all the way from Gurgaon. But her happiness was short lived as Annu opined that she made a weak start to the song. Sonali asked her to gear up, while Javed asked her to work harder, as this are the galas.

Santa has a gift for everyone

A fun-filled Christmas party started with the contestants decorating the Christmas tree. To their surprise, a cute Santa walked in with bagfuls of gifts. Bhavya was excited to get a dummy bike, while Remo was happy with Priyanka Chopra’s photograph. Luckily, the santa left gifts for Chang and Hussain too. The duo looked really happy as they unwrapped their gifts, and found nice Indian Idol T-shirts. Santa ki jai ho!

Remo ka jaadu naheen chala

Remember Rajesh khanna sip synching Mere Sapnon ki raani? Remo came dressed like kaka, and sang the same number. But his face turned pale as all the three judges found his singing off tune. Sonali said the performance was not good enough for the galas. Remo went back to the pavilion with a heavy heart.

Next, it was Kuldeep dressed in a banjara outfit. He sang Mehbooba mehbooba while Saurabhi played Helen and danced to his tune. Applause followed. When poked by Hussain, Javed admitted that the famous ‘Amitabh going to mausi for Veeru’s rishta’ scene was inspired by a real life incident. Kuldeep was ecstatic when judges showed him the green light! Bhai, kamaal da munda hain yeh Kuldeep.

Kapil ka wada, Prosenjit ka irada

Kapil chose the sweet number Kya hua tera wada. The judges greeted him with green lights. Sonali was impressed with his growth and asked him to sing once more. Anu Malik found him perfect with tune and emotions. Javed felt that he sang from his heart. Kapil kept his promise, but the day wasn’t as action-packed for Prosenjit. His performance of Dil se was shown thumbs down by the judges. Javed was shocked as he was off tune today, only Annu gave him a green light as he expected better from him the next time.

Bhanu’s Dard-e-dil for Torsha

The long-haired, handsome Bhanu played Rishi Kapoor as he sang Dard-e-dil, while Torsha played Tina Munim and handed a hanky to him on stage. That was quite romantic. Annu and Sonali showed him the green light while Javed felt that his passion and emotions were missing in rendition, while he was technically right. This seemed unlikely with a pretty lass like Torsha around!

Torsha was in a ‘Madhuri Dixit avatar’ as she sang Ek do teen. She got the green light from all three judges. Annu felt she was at ease singing the tough song, while Javed felt she needs to break her own walls within to give a heart felt performance. But Torsha seems to be quite adept in touching hearts. Chang and Hussain asked her who she has sang the song for, when she answered coyly that it was for the hosts. Chang and Hussain looked heartbroken!

Saurabhi sets the stage afire

Saurabhi looked so beautiful in a pink dress and glittering jewellery, that Chang kept showering her with compliments. The charming girl sang Kaheen aag lage from the film Taal. Anu stood up to clap for her, and declared she was one of the best. Mohit sang tadap tadap ke and grabbed all the judges’ attention.

Rajdeep gave us fever

Rajdeep was dressed in Aamir’s Lagaan outfit and sang the badra song. The judges stood up to clap for him. They declared that Rajdeep’s performance was the best in this gala round. Rajdeep’s mom sitting in the audience said that he had high fever. Well, it seems some people are better off with fever. Kya bukhaar hain baap!

Priyanka, Indian Idol’s Katrina was surprisingly dressed in a demure sari with palla on her head. She sang the Radha song from Lagaan. But our singing Katrina couldn’t impress the tough judges. Better luck next time.

A shocking thing happened in the end as Hussain declared that the next day was the elimination round. Sonali, who has been very upset with the public voting mostly for the male contestants declared that she won’t attend the elimination round as she knows as usual, the remaining girls will be voted out. Anu, Javed and Hussain stared helplessly as he gorgeous lady walked out of the stage suppressing her anger.

Sonali roots for girls

2008-12-07T23:46:00.001-08:00

Sonali Bendre openly supports the female contestants on Indian Idol. After watching the tremendous talent amongst the girls this season she fervently hopes it is a girl who will win the Indian Idol title this year.

She has high hopes from all the girls but she is full of praise for Shini, the girl with the golden voice. Shini, the only married girl on the show, has reached the Top 14 with a lot of determination. Her ouster shocked everybody. But with Shini''s return in the Wild Card entry, Sonali''s hopes are soaring once again.

Being a married woman herself, Sonali probably identifies with her more. Few would recall that Sonali herself is a discovery of a film magazine''s talent contest. "I was in college then. I went thinking it was an audition for a commercial, but once there I was told I was selected and was to be launched in a film! I was sure my mother would freak out at the very thought of my being an actress!" she recalls with a smile.

Shini is lucky. She has a supportive husband, family and in-laws backing her to achieve her goal and she has Sonali rooting for her too.

Indian Idol recap: Episode 24

2008-12-07T23:42:00.000-08:00

Ananya is the first to bid farewell to the gala stage

Elimination nights are usually filled with tension and tears, but the contestants were not willing to let the first elimination of the galas be all about worry. They started things off with a fiery performance of their hit single, Yeh world humara hai. And what a performance it was. It had the audience and the judges on their feet, applauding.

But things soon settled down as Hussain and Chang got down to business. They announced that Tulika and Mohit were in the danger zone.

And the bottom six are…

But the hosts were not in a hurry to announce who the other four were who would join Tulika and Mohit. Instead, they asked the contestants to choose for themselves where they thought they ought to be placed—in the danger zone or the safe zone.

To everyone’s surprise, except for Sourabhee and Prasenjit, everyone else opted for the safe zone. But were all the contestants who thought they were safe actually safe? Only time would tell. When asked why, despite bad performances and comments, Priyanka and Kuldeep had chose the safe zone, they said that had listened to their hearts and were confident they would be voted safe by the janta. Will their instincts betray them?

Whom will Lady Luck favour?

Hussain and Chang did away with too much build up of tension and declared that Torsha, Rajdeep, Prasenjit, Sourabhee, Kapil, Remo, Priyanka and Bhanu were safe in quick succession. Which left Kuldeep, Bhavya, Ananya and Shini in the bottom six.

Bhavya is frustrated

She may have comeback with a bang, but this talented singer is upset and frustrated that the audience does not seem to appreciate her singing. “It looks like the janta never really liked me,” she said, with tears in her voice. “Good singing and judges’ comments don’t help. I’ve tried everything and yet I don’t get the votes.” And then she voiced what’s been troubling her all along. “There are good singers here [in the bottom sing] and all the singers over there [the safe zone] are not all good.”

But her tears were premature because Bhavya was announced safe. And she was asked to take Kuldeep along with her, who was also safe. Shini didn’t have long to wait either before she was given the green signal to the safe zone. That left Mohit and Ananya in danger.

A shocking elimination

In a surprise move, the judges decided not to let two contestants be eliminated at one shot as they had promised in the last round of the Pianos. Instead, only one would have to pack his or her bags and leave. Unfortunately, that person was Ananya. The talented singer could not hold back her tears. “I was so sure that I would be safe. My first gala performance was one of the best,” she said. “I will miss everyone deeply”

The judges were unanimous in their opinion that the janta had made a very big mistake. “Ananya is the symbol of today’s contemporary girl. She is such a great combination of singing and performance, another like her will be very difficult to find,” said Javedji. Sonali said, “She has a fabulous personality, a fabulous voice and she is a fabulous performer. I’m so sorry to have lost you on this show.” “The country has made a huge mistake and they will realise only later the gravity of their mistake,” said Kailash. Annu had the last word. “The janta will end up with an Indian Idol that they don’t want if they continue voting out such good talents,” he said.

Anaya’s swan song

A teary-eyed Ananya sang Hum dil de chuke sanam for the last time on the gala stage. Brave though she was, she could not continue beyond a point, especially when her friends came on stage to support her. Now, it’s a lonely walk for her out of the studio and back to her life in her home town. We will miss you, Ananya.

Indian Idol recap: Episode 23

2008-12-07T23:39:00.000-08:00

It’s been a scenario of high drama, both inside and outside the studio. First the strike by the production crew put a spoke in the wheel of Indian Idol Galas. Then the terror attacks on Mumbai cast a pall of gloom over it. But finally the ultimate musical mahayudh is here.

As a tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives in the terror that followed November 26, the contestants began the show with a rousing rendition of Chale chalo from Lagaan. The judges then expressed their feeling of remorse, solidarity and, of course, anger. “My heart is heavy. But it is a duty that has to be done. And since it cannot be done with glum faces, we have to do it with a smile,” said Annu Malek. But Javed Akhtar was more vociferous. “I am shocked that a handful of terrorists could simply stroll into our city and attack us and hold us to ransom for days,” he said. “We have to get together and let those in power know that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” Sonali Bendre asked the youth to “exercise the power of voting”.

Shini stuns ‘em all

The first singer on stage was Shini and the petite singer from Gwalior was a live wire on the stage. Not only did she stun everyone with her song Mehboob mere, but she also bowled over the audience with her sexy performance. Annu said her performance was “outstanding”, while Sonali said she “was fantastic. You have bloomed and are no longer shy”.

Then it was Shini’s turn to be surprised when her very own ‘mehboob’ came on stage and proposed to her with a beautiful ring on national television. The girl went completely red and was almost speechless with joy.

Rajdeep came next and tried to woo Sonali with Dil to na keh saka. To his credit, he certainly made the judge blush and say that she was truly impressed. However, Rajdeep’s performance put Javed in a quandary: if everyone were to sing as good as the first two, then the judges would have no other job than to say “wah wah”.

Some plain speak from Sourabhee

The Tripura girl certainly meant to give a fantastic performance, but there was something lacking in her song, Pyaar ki yeh kahaani suno. She seemed to have sacrificed her singing to her performance, and she admitted it. Javed was impressed that she accepted her mistake and said, “You were so involved in your performance that you lost your sur and taal.” However, Annu said, “You are not a besura and I feel the audience must bring you back.”

Then Sourabhee gave the audience another reason to vote for her—she did a shimmy-shake with Hussain and Chang to the Shakira number, My hips don’t lie.

Kuldeep, the small town boy from Banda, is determined to prove that he is no country mouse in the big city or on the big stage. He wants to prove that he is a rock star. And prove he did. He enthralled with Bakhuda tum hi ho and even got Ananya on stage to serenade her. His efforts got him praise from both Javed and Sonali. “You’ve never sung better than today,” said Javed, while Sonali said, “You’re voice had emotion and it was a touching performance.” But Annu was not too impressed. He said, “It was average singing. Your voice did not touch my heart.”

Manmohak Mohit

In true romantic style, Mohit was dressed to the nines in a long overcoat with a red shirt and he tried to do a Ranbir with Khuda janee. While Annu felt he had sung the male lines well, Sonali thought it was a weak performance.

But Mohit did lighten the mood by doing a Saif—he proclaimed that he had written the name of the person he loves on his arm. And, voila, it was Prasenjit. And lo behold, Prasenjit reciprocated the gesture. Yeh kya Dostana ho raha hai yahan?

The girl that Mohit dedicated his song to was up next. Tulika sang Aaiye meherbaan and charmed Chang right off his chair. Annu thought there was every possibility that she would be the mallika of the mehfil. “Your singing and performance was beautiful. It was one of your finest,” he said.

Kapil wanted to quit

No, it was not because he was homesick or he had enough of singing. The Army man wanted to quit so that he could go and fight with the NSG commandos who were battling the terrorists. However, he realised that the show must go on and tried to spread some cheer with his Saawariya act. Though Javed thought the performance was weak and there was some gadbad in the sur, Annu was glad that Kapil was taking risks and no longer singing A,B,C,D.

A determined Remo took the stage next. He wanted to prove all his detractors wrong and he accomplished that with his performance of Zara si jagah. Javed thought that the chota don was flawless in his singing.

Prasenjit wants to fall in love

Prasenjit certainly had a reason for choosing the song Pehli nazar mein kaise for his first gala performance. He wanted to announce to the world that he was ready to fall in love! He also wanted some advice on how to do it. Sonali readily complied, saying all he had to do was sing the way sang on the stage and any girl would swoon into his arms. Annu, who was wowed by his performance, said, “It was an outstanding performance, one of your finest. You are the dark horse of Indian Idol.”

When Priyanka stepped onto the stage, she seemed to have stepped straight out of the 70s—with her tight kurta, bold make up and hair and a pert little flower in her hair. She was all dolled up for her song Oh mere sona re. But unfortunately, her performance superseded her singing according to the judges. “The antara is the jaan of the song and there was something missing there,” said Annu. “I’ve heard you sing better,” said Javed.

Bhanu misses his mark

Bhanu tried to cast his magic spell on everyone with Tera jadoo chal gaya, but the long-haired dude was not too successful. “You singing was good, but it was not flawless,” said Annu. “The low notes were not good and you need to throw your voice more.” Javed, on the other hand, pulled Bhanu’s leg about his blind belief in astrology and the stars. “Trust in your talent and not in Jupiter and Saturn,” he said.

Ananya was up next and she certainly did not miss the mark. Her song, Hum dil de chuke sanam, was almost flawless in its rendition. Annu was taken aback that he said, “Ananya, tu bahut khubsoorat hai, Ananya tu bahut gusse wali hai, Aaj sur me gaya hum khush hue, kya hua agar tu thodi nakarewali hai.” Javed felt that she had proved once and for all that she could be proud to say that she is from such a gifted family.

Fight club: It’s Bhavya vs Torsha

The girl who had come back with a bang in the wild card round was determined to prove herself on the gala stage. Bhavya sang Ghoonji si hai and though Sonali thought she was flawless and Javed gave her a standing ovation, Annu was less than impressed. He told Bhavya “tu sur se gayi” and that she could have performed better.

Next it was Torsha’s turn to mesmerise. She amped up her sexiness and performed to Yeh mera dil. Annu said her performance was outstanding and she was 100 per cent in sur. But he felt her throw could have been better. Sonali was pleased that the quiet girl had shown her versatility, and Javed said it had been a good attempt, though she could have brought the flirtatiousness of her performance into her voice, too.

And then the hosts surprised everyone with a video which revealed what the two singers actually thought about each other. Turns out they can’t stand each other’s guts! But Torsha and Bhavya were quick to clarify that, though misunderstandings do take place, they were friends and they respect each other. Hmmm, we think that was just for the cameras and the truth may be something totally different.

The contestants have a sleepless night ahead, for tomorrow it will be the first gala elimination. Get ready for some more surprises.

The biggest threat!

2008-11-21T03:38:00.000-08:00

Bhavya stands to win the biggest show on Earth!

I want to transform the Idols: Mickey Mehta

2008-11-21T03:35:00.000-08:00

A lean, composed man with a quiet manner, Mickey Mehta seems to embody the title he is known by—India’s biggest holistic health and fitness guru. For 24 years, he has been revolutionising the concept of wellness and redefining holistic health. His innovative ideas are based on Vedic philosophies and the therapies of Tao and Zen among others.

And he is the man who is behind keeping the Top 14 grounded, unified, healthy and fit. We talked to the guru on the what, how and why.

When you agreed to guide the Indian Idol contestants, what action plan did you have in mind?

We thought that just doing weight loss and trying to get them fit would be a very narrow idea. We wanted to do something very integrated—something that would primarily transform personalities on a broad-based understanding, keeping in mind that every contestant should have a better attitude.

Making a winner with a difference was the mandate. They needed to be transformed completely—in terms of personality, their physical look, confidence, attitude, self esteem and thought process.

So how did you go about it?

We started off with giving them nutritional guidance. We made them understand what foods would be best suited for such a programme—what would help them cleanse impurities, to purify, to invigorate, to revitalise and to fortify.

We also explained how the right food would influence the mind. You see, foods like fruits and sprouts influence the thought process and attitude. We showed them how to combat stress through food, how to get liberated energy through food. We prescribed a satvic diet to them.

What is their fitness regime?

They have gruelling 18-hour schedules every day. So they should be absolutely fit so that they can go through the grind and still remain alert, fresh and be rearing to go the next morning. So we got them to do a lot of yoga, free hand cardio vascular, pilates and strength training. We wanted to ensure that their body was strong so that they would not succumb to illness or stress. Our regime gave them more resistance, made them more tenacious and more perseverant.

We also did a lot of breathing exercises and pranayam. And, along with this, we also focused on intonation—improvement of throat quality and voice quality. This helps them to modulate better, to pitch better, get a higher octave and to improve lung power through deep oxygenation. This was a primary focus keeping in mind their very specific need as singers.

How else were you able to help them with your holistic approach?

I did a lot of group meditation with them, to help inculcate the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood, to help them create a support system—so that one did not pull down the other.

I told them that they were not competing with the idea of killing the competition; they were contesting—trying to better their own talents. A true artist never gets aggressive in competition. A true artist improves, contests and competes with himself or herself. Being healthy is being sporting, happy, joyful and performing well—it’s not just being fit.

So I’ve tried to make them have a sporting attitude, to do away with the fear of losing and the greed of winning, because both will take away from the competition.

Was meditation a part of their routine?

Yes, I practiced the subtle sciences with them. We did candlelight meditation, which ignites a flame in you. It brings about awareness, puts you in touch with your jubilant self—which wants to conquer and to out perform. This meditation fills them with radiance and glory. And it also helps them not to feel homesick. (Smiles) It helps to bring them collectively together.

I also did aromatherapy meditation with them—where you inhale the aroma of flowers and fruits. This helps to transform every impulse.

Could you tell us a little more about your concept, health beyond fitness?

Fitness has a very limited spectrum. The bandwidth of fitness is simply strength, stamina, agility, tone and flexibility. But when you look at health it is energy, stability, high immunity, balance, equilibrium, sense of being, belonging, commitment and responsibility.

Health is also a heightened amount of immunity, heightened perceptions, being able to sleep well, work well, having a clear focus in life, a beautiful thought process, and conscious and righteous action. Health is organic soundness, it is organic unity.

That is why my approach is multi-pronged. We approach health through various areas of life like eating appropriate—the appropriate type of food at the appropriate time and in appropriate quantities. We tell people to bask in the sunlight, in the moonlight—to be in nature as much as possible, to absorb the intelligence of nature—so that you are able to soothe yourself, to distress, to find your centre and your being. So that you can come alive once again.

You were also responsible for their grooming.

I talked to them about etiquette, posture, body language, mannerisms and attitude. Your body language says a lot about you, so I advised them not to look lost or puzzled, to communicate through their body and their eyes, to never stand or sit sloppily, to be alert and upright always.

I have seen my words have a positive effect, too. Especially in Torsha. She was very uncommunicative and her face never showed emotions when she first came on the show. Now she is more expressive, outgoing and confident.

Is there anything specific that you hope the contestants will take back from their experiences with you?

It’s not only with me that they have learned things. They will learn and take away a lot throughout the tenure of Indian Idol. They are in the midst of a mêlée of gurus. Even when they are being judged, they are learning something. It''s not like learning happens just when somebody teaches—learning happens as a by-product of being with somebody. You just keep absorbing and assimilating.

Apart from the set curriculum, it just so happens that our wisdom and experience are also naturally shared with them. It has happened in my interactions with them, too. I feel each contestant will go back a winner, with a lot of value additions.

Image Gallery

2008-11-20T00:11:00.000-08:00

All about Ananya

2008-11-18T20:51:00.000-08:00

Contestants prepare themselves as Indian Idol hits the road
Ananya means: Infinite. My father named me

About myself: I rehearse dance in the morning and singing in the evening. I am also a very confused person

Family: Parents, an elder brother (10 years older) and a younger sister. I am closest to my father. My first guruji is my father

Fear: Ghosts

Nickname: Shivvie

If I become the Indian idol, I will: Open a music institution for my father

Place: Varanasi

Ananya is Pandit Birju Maharaj and Kishan Maharaj’s grand daughter—music and art run in her blood. She has trained professionally in singing and has won various music contests across the country.

Apart from being a good singer, Ananya is also a remarkable Kathak dancer, a music composer and plays the tabla. This young girl has a golden voice and the right attitude that won her the judges’ hearts instantly.

Colour: Red and pink

Actor: Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan

Actress: Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherji

Bhopal mein Dhamaal

2008-11-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

Contestants to bring down the house as live gig kicks in

Shafqat Amanat Ali

2008-11-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

This ''Rock star Ustad'' from Pakistan captured millions of Indian hearts when he sang Mitwa for Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. He then won acclaim for Yeh hausla from Dor. He has also sung for films like Hello, Mumbai Cuttings and Aashayen. Now, Shafqat Amanat Ali, the seventh generation of the Patiala Gharana, has released his album Tabeer.

The singer flew down from Pakistan to meet with the Indian Idol contestants on Rubaroo. Not only did he listen to them perform, but he also gave them tips on how to better their singing. We met up with the singer on the sets.

Have you been following Indian Idol on television?

Not one hundred percent—but yes I have been following it. I think it''s amazing the kind of talent the show has found.

How would you say the talent this time is?

It''s too early to say. The last time I listened to the contestants, they had already finished their training and they were very confident when they sang. The present set of contestants is getting there.

You got a chance to interact with the contestants. Did you give them any advice?

I did give them a few tip. Like they have to learn how to handle the mike. I told them that their voice needs to remain kulla. Because if you go on the higher notes aur aap awaaz ko thoda daba le, that''s not correct—that way you lose your points, you lose the beauty of your voice. So I advised them that when you hit the high notes, just move the mike away.

Three boys performed for you. How did you find the performances and who did you think was the best?

Kuldeep’s Piya nahi bole was very passionate and Mohit''s Lal meri had soul in it. But I think Roshan’s Mitwa was the best. He was very innovative. There were choti choti murkhiyaan here and there that are not in the original song. That shows that he can be a good playback singer.

Any comments about the judges>

Javed sir has seen and heard so much, he has the right to give any judgement he wants. Annu Malek is a little strong in his comments. I think he should tone it down a little. Kailash is a singer and he give his comments from that point of view, whcih is great.

Could you tell us something about your new album? It''s called Tabeer and it is already out in the market. We started the album off as a Sufi album. But soon it changed into something else because we included lots of fusion. There is mankabat, durbari fusion, semi pop—in fact it''s a mixture of everything.

Shini Kalvint MakeOver

2008-11-14T22:56:00.000-08:00

Shini means: I was nicknamed chini because I sing sweetly. This soon became Shini
About myself: I’ve auditioned for Indian Idol before, but I didn’t get through. I met my husband during professional shows. It is a love marriage-I proposed to him
Family: My mother is a singer-she won the Gwalior Lata Mangeshkar Award. I loved to dance, but I also wanted to follow mom’s footsteps
Inspiration: Lata Mangeshkar
Fear: Sleeping alone at night. I enjoy horror films, but only with my mother
One thing I would like to change in myself: I would like to change my physicality-gain some weight

Indian Idol recap: Episode 19

2008-11-14T22:50:00.000-08:00

Wild cards have been a routine, almost predictable, part of Indian Idol. Until now.
This time around the judges did the unpredictable—first they chose five contestants instead of three, then they chose the songs the five wild cards had to sing so that they could pick the best three, and, finally, they gave the contestants just one hour to practice before their performance. Talk about pressure.
But the five wild cards were ready for the challenge—with some help from their voice trainer and their fellow Top 10 contestants.
First up was Mohit with Jashn e bahar. Though he had never sung the song before, he gave a decent performance and was convinced that he would make it into the galas. But Annu had a problem with his song: Mohit had not sung it in the original scale. “The competition is tough and you should have gone that extra mile,” said the judge.
Bhavya knew that her every sahi sur would be a rung on her ladder to success. She met the challenge head on with Aisa lagta hai . She understood the judges were seeking a new dimension in her because she had not sung a romantic song on the Indian Idol stage so far. Though the judges decided to reserve their judgement until all the contestants had sung, Ananya passed hers: Bhavya had sung better than Mohit.
Charit followed with Yeh shyaam mastani. And though he felt the judges zaroor meherbaan honge, his friend Priyanka was not as considerate. She felt Bhavya had performed better than Charit.
When Shini had heard the song the judges had chosen for her, she had been excited. According to the shaadi shuda girl, her mother had sung it constantly and she had always loved it. But she was not sure if she could better her mother.
But better her she did! Hussain was so taken by her song Jayiye aap kahan that he wanted to know if Shini had hidden a CD somewhere nearby. Torsha seconded Hussain’s praise—she felt Shini had sung better than Bhavya.
Lat but not the least was Prasenjit. And Mr Kosambi had been given the toughest challenge yet by the judges—he had to sing Ajho ne aaye balma, a tough song to sing under any circumstance, and an almost impossible song to master in an hour.
But he faced the do or die situation with aplomb and delivered a powerful performance. Remo was so impressed that he said Prasenjit should have been sitting in his place.
After heated debates and arguments, the judges decided on the finalists. They okayed Prasenjit and Mohit, but said no to Charit. With two contestants finalised, it meant one of the girls would have to go home. But then Annu pulled an ace from his sleeve—instead of choosing the Top 13, they had decided to have the Top 14 this time. Which meant both Shini and Bhavya were through to the galas.
Of course, this does mean that the first gala will have two eliminations instead of the standard one. But then, who cares about that now? The contestants were too busy cutting Bhavya’s ‘belated’ birthday cake, along with Annu Malek. Party on, we say! Worrying about the galas’ elimination can wait another few days.

Annu Malek cheers for Roshan!

2008-11-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

This young lad from Kannur district made his mark in the judge''s minds in the auditions itself. But it seemed that he was too conscious and as a result had lost his nerve in the first round. Roshan was lucky to survive…But some harsh comments from the judges seemed to have shaken him out of that stupor.

Roshan who has quit his studies for his love of singing made a mark this time around and surprised the judges with his performance. So much to say that the hard-to-impress judge - Annu Malek was quick to name him "Roshan ki roshani"!

Here''s hoping that Roshan''s singing lights up the hearts of millions of viewers and they vote for him too. Many of the contestants from southern India have suffered for the lack of votes in the past… We hope that it does not happen with this talented young boy…

Annu Malek is knowledgeable, but can be rude

2008-11-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

Music director Annu Malek, who is a judge on music reality show Indian Idol 4, can be harsh with his comments to the participants, but the youngsters can learn a lot from his knowledge and experience, says host and television actor Hussain Kuwajerwala.

"Annu Malek k can be rude sometimes but he has immense knowledge and experience. The participants get to learn a lot from him," said Hussain.

Apart from Malek , writer-poet Javed Akhtar, singer Kailash Kher and actress Sonali Bendre are judges on the fourth season of the show.

The audience gets to see many a verbal duel between Malik and Akhtar, but Hussain says it is normal as "both are specialised in their respective fields".

"Javed-ji is very good with explanations. He can explain the mistakes to the contestants in a very simple and convincing fashion," he said.

Hussain started his TV career with Aashirwad and then went on to become a part of popular soaps like Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Krishna Arjun and Kumkum.

His popularity went a notch higher when he won the second season of dance reality show Nach Baliye along with his wife Tina.

He has hosted several reality shows earlier like Shabaash India, Kisme Kitna Hai Dum, Kuch Kar Dikhana Hai, Khullja Sim Sim 2, Indian Idol 3 and Nach Baliye 3.

The actor-cum-anchor says it is a pleasure to host Indian Idol again.

"Being the host of a show like Indian Idol all over again gives me immense pleasure because I have a lot of fun while anchoring it," he said.

According to him, the sets of the show have a positive energy and the entire excitement that surrounds the programme spurs him to do his best.

Asked what makes Indian Idol stand out among the myriad reality shows on air, Hussain said: "A show like Indian Idol is very entertaining and has extremely talented contestants, that''s why it clicks with the audience and they like it.

"Also everybody likes music, so a music-based show does find its way to the audiences'' hearts a little more easily."

Annu favours the girls

2008-11-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Indian Idol recap: Episode 19

2008-11-09T08:36:00.000-08:00

It`s the time to party!

2008-11-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Belated birthday celebrations for Annu and Bhavya with a lot of fanfare and chocolate cake

Indian Idol recap: Episode 16

2008-11-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

Piano rounds end with shocking eliminations

Hussain had some breaking news to give the audience and the contestants—10 would be eliminated at one shot from Indian Idol. And even before the shock had died down, he called Shini, Megha and Sourabhee onto the stage. Shini, whom the boys had nominated in their Top 2, found herself on the losing side. She and Megha were out of the competition.

Next Tulika, Ananya, Sreejita, Akanksha and Priyanka were asked to come face the guillotine. An ecstatic Tulika was declared safe and she knelt down on the stage in gratitude. Ananya and Priyanka were also shown the green signal.

However, the biggest shock was yet to come. Bhavya, Torsha and Nirali faced the firing squad next. And Nirali, who was expecting to be shot, was miraculously saved—making Bhavya the target of the janta’s dismissal. An angry Annu Malek ranted and raved about the injustice of Bhavya’s ouster, but his hands were effectively tied by the masses. He had to watch helplessly as teary-eyed Bhavya, Shini, Megha, Akanksha and Sreejita left the stage and walked away.

Every night has a dawn

The dismal pall of eviction was swept away with the first performance of the night. Torsha sang Bhaage re man kahi, and though energy was lacking because she was still reeling under Bhavya’s eviction, her singing got some positive comments. “I have to commend her jasmaniyat,” said Javed Akhtar, while Sonali Bendre exclaimed, “You were fantastic.”

‘Dilli ki bijli’ Priyanka was up next. Her Main kudi anjaani did not go down well with Annu. “Why did you choose this song?” he asked her. “You lost your sur and leh.” However, Kailash Kher did not want to demoralise her and said, “I will give you 100/100.”

Fighting against her bottom 2 tag

Nirali was very upset when she heard the boys thought she deserved to be in the bottom 2. She promised that she would perform her best if she were given another chance. And another chance she was given. However, her song Aaj mein upar did not have the brightness it needed. According to Sonali, Nirali was concentrating so much on the sur that she has forgotten her spontaneity.

Ananya sang Main albeli. Though her sur was off a few times, she gave a decent performance.

Miss Hawa Hawaii steals the show

Sourabhee, the girl who wants to win India’s hearts, proved that she is a voice to look out for. “Bahut khatarnak ladki hai yeh,” said Annu. “Your voice had the expression that others try to achieve through their body and face expressions.” Javed said, “You felt the song.”

Tulika took the bull (Annu) by the horns by choosing to sing Main talli ho gayi—a song composed by Annu and sung by his daughter, Anmol. And her gamble paid off. Annu said: “Your mukhda wasn’t strong, but I loved the way you sang the antara.”

Time for more goodbyes

After the girls performed, the clock rang in the moment of the boys’ elimination. And as with the girls’, it proved that you can never predict how the audience will vote. Mohit, Prasenjit, Roshan and Kuldeep were called on stage first. Though Kuldeep had given a mediocre performance last time and Roshan had wowed the judges, the boy from Kerala had to face the axe. The hard-working Prasenjit, too, had to bow out of the competition—something that shocked and surprised his friend Mohit so much that he was inconsolable.

Charit, Remo and Bhanu were called next. Remo, who had not managed to impress the judges with his two earlier performances, was saved, as was Bhanu. Charit, however, had to catch the next train home.

And, as with the girls’, the greatest shock was reserved for the last. The dulcet-voiced Sandeep found he did not have enough fans to save him, and he and Keshav were out of the show. Which meant Rajdeep and Kapil would sing another day.

Bhanu doesn’t win Annu’s heart

The winner of the Indian Idol Deepak title, Bhanu took the stage with In dino. However, Annu was not thrilled. “Your throw wasn’t strong and you were besura sometimes,” he said—a comment that was echoed by Javed.

But Kapil managed to regain lost ground with Pukarta chala hoon main. His earlier song had got a negative comment from Javed, who said he was imitating Kumar Sanu. This time, however, Javed said: “You sang well. Your voice was not nasal and you sang in your own voice.”

Performance of a lifetime

Rajdeep stole the show with Main hoon na. Annu was so impressed that he gave him a standing ovation. Sonali was appreciative of his presence of mind—Rajdeep’s mike malfunctioned, yet he bounced back perfectly.

The lucky Kuldeep was not lucky with his performance. Once more he won criticism instead of praise. His Ae zindagi gale laga le made Kailash and Javed say: “You were a little besura.” But Annu begged to differ. “You are the mastermind of masti and sur ki pujari,” he said.

Mohit issues a warning

He brushed aside his tears and took the stage with renewed energy. His Bachna ae haseeno wowed the judges and had Annu exclaim: “It was fantastic.”

Remo did not let anyone down either—neither his Roshan bhaiyya nor the judges. The ‘chhote don’ did an Aamir Khan with Bam bam bole. Javed said, “Well done. I liked your song.” And Sonali declared, “Compared to your previous songs this was definitely the better one.”

Next up are the Galas. And two more singers will be voted out. But it’s not all sadness—the Wild Card round will see the re-entry of some deserving singers. Picture abhi bhi baaki hai mere dost.

The biggest shock

2008-11-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Bhavya`s vote out is the hardest to digest, Annu & the rest come out in support of her

Indian Idol recap: Episode 15

2008-11-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

The show started off with the contestants moving to Om Shanthi Om with hosts Hussain and Chang. Kuldeep''s performance followed this jig but it failed to maintain the excitement generated by the dance. The judges felt it was a lukewarm performance.

Prasenjit adds the zing

Prasenjit brought back the zest with his performance. His dance routine made his performance a bigger hit. Hussain soon revealed that his moves weren''t his own alone but he taught the girls a couple of steps as well. At this, the girls joined him on stage to shake a leg.

A special Diwali

Diwali mood was still in. A snippet of the contestants’ celebrations revealed that they spent the day in a meaningful way with orphaned kids. The show then moved on with Roshan''s Dard-e-Disco. The judges were taken aback by his brilliant performance. He was a huge hit.

The fantastic performers

Rajdeep bettered his previous performance. Sonali was thrilled and thanked him for setting high standards on the show. This stellar performance was followed by Mohit''s. He too wowed the judges and enthralled the audience with his dance moves.

The disappointments of the evening

Sandeep who mesemerised judges on Piano Round 3, disappointed this time. The judges felt it was his overconfidence. Remo followed with his dismal performance. The judges stressed on hard work. The only highlight for him on stage was the towel dance he did along with Hussain to the song he sang. The disappointments kept rolling in with Keshav''s dismal performance and Kapil''s copycat Kumar Sanu voice.

The star of the show

And then there was reprieve with Bhanu''s performance dubbed as the ''performance of the night''. He was the winner of the special prize - a silver coin.

Who will win Indian Idol this year, Girls or Boys?

2008-11-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

As the girls outperform the boys, the audience is in store for a huge shock with 10 participants being eliminated from the show this week.
They came, they sang, they conquered!!! And not only that, they convinced one and all that they are here to stay. We are talking about the girls on Indian Idol. And the boys, in true sportsman spirit, cheered them on.
This season, the girls outdo the boys not only in number, but in performance too. They rendered some confident and rocking numbers. Which leads us to the age old question, ‘who will win the coveted title of Indian Idol 4 this year?’ Sonali Bendre firmly believes that a girl will walk away with the crown while Javed Akhtar hopes a good singer wins – be it a boy or a girl. Annu Malek, on the other hand, with his keen sense has picked one from the lot – Bhavya Pandit, the first among the singers to get an offer to sing for him in a forthcoming film.
But with laughter come tears. As Saturday dawns, the viewers and the contestants are in for a huge shock. After every singer putting in their maximum effort with round the clock riyaaz, wanting to be a part of Indian Idol 4 with all their heart and soul, 10 of the participants will have the carpet yanked off their feet.
So catch the great singing, enchanting performances and shocking eliminations on Indian Idol 4 this Saturday, November 1st at 9.00 pm only on Sony Entertainment Television.

10 contestants to get eliminated in Indian Idol 4

2008-11-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the shocking eliminations On Indian Idol 4 This Saturday, November 1 At 9.00 pm Only on Sony Entertainment Television. They sang, they danced and they convinced one and all that they, the girls, are definitely here to stay. The boys couldn't help but cheer them on. The number of girls, who have caught the attention of viewers and the judges, far outnumber the boys with their rocking performances & confidence.Sonali Bendre is convinced it is a girl who will take the title this time round. But Javed Akhtar hopes a good singer will win - be it a boy or a girl. Annu Malik has already started recognizing the immense potential - young Bhavya Pandit is the first to get an offer to sing for him in a forthcoming film. There are more waiting in the wings...
Though come tomorrow the viewers and the contestants are in for a huge heart break! Eviction this Saturday on Indian Idol 4 is sure to shake one and all. Imagine after every one of them putting their heart & soul with round-the-clock riyaaz, commitment to singing, and wanting to be a part of Indian Idol 4, 10 participants will have the carpet pulled off their feet! There's great singing, enchanting performances and shocking eliminations...Stay tuned to Indian Idol 4 This Saturday, November 1 At 9.00 pm Only on Sony Entertainment Television.

Rajdeep returns with a vengeance

2008-10-28T00:38:00.000-07:00

Public voting always shocks the judges; it seems the audience minds have a different outlook than that of the judges. Last week, it surprised everybody that a talented singer like Rajdeep Chatterjee did not manage enough votes. He landed in the bottom six while lesser talented singers were sitting comfortably with votes in their kitty.
It seems to have spurred the ever smiling young man even more to give his best shot to his singing. His performance in this round once again raised the bar on Indian Idol. He sang Sonu Nigam''s Ae dilruba… with such verve that he won over the judges and the audience with his performance. One hopes he stays on the show until the finals. He deserves to be there and voted in.

Bhanu makes history on Indian Idol 4

2008-10-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

Bhanu Pratap Singh, the long-haired guy who was put down by his two female partners for not singing well enough, ended in near nervous breakdown when he was rejected. The judges decided to give him a second chance and he made it to Mumbai.
Once here, the guy is leaving no stone unturned to make his presence felt. His confidence is soaring and his singing has taken everyone by surprise. As a result the dark horse (Bhanu Pratap) was the only one to receive Silver Coin awarded to the best performance of the day on Diwali from the judges.
Bhanu''s joy knows no bounds. Kailash Kher believes that Bhanu Pratap Singh is destined to make history on Indian Idol! Who can forget that last year Prashant Tamang started his journey on Indian Idol with his partner refusing to sing with him in the theatre round? His partner was eliminated in the first round and Prashant survived to win the title. History repeats itself, they say…

Guys Voted Out

2008-10-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

The four guys who left out Indian this week are, Ali, Sourabh, Pranav and Parashar.

Indian Idol 4 Episode 09: Part 10

2008-10-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Jugal Hansraj rocks Indian Idol 4

2008-10-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol 4 has stolen all the hearts. Now get ready to know your favorite contestants as we bring the uncensored and personal anecdotes about them on Indian Idol 4 Rubaroo, starting this Thursday October 23 at 7.30 pm & a repeat at 10.30 pm. Hosts Chang and Deepali take you into the lives and present to you the little known side of this year's contestants.Kick starting the episode this week we have a very special guest on board. He is the chocolate boy, Jugal Hansraj, who stole every heart in town when he made his debut in Masoom many years ago. Jugal Hansraj, the actor- turned -director came with his two debutantes- Romeo and Laila from his first directorial debut, the animation film – Roadside Romeo. Needless to say, he was completely floored and dazzled by the young talent this season. They too were delighted to be with him and put up an impromptu show of singing, dancing and mimicry. In between shots they even sang all the songs from Jugal's films - Tujhse naraaz nahi..., Ghar se nikalte hi… Chalte chalte yuhi ruk jata hoon main amongst others.

The actor-director was humbled and touched by this gesture of the contestants and he enjoyed the attention everbody gave him. Inspite of a bad cold Jugal happily posed and interacted with all the contestants. He promised to send everyone a music CD of his film as a token of appreciation. Well, it was not only the girls who were floored by this chocolaty actor- turned -director but everyone else on the sets too adored him and his two debutantes – the naughty Romeo and cute Laila… as together they entertained the contestants with a dance performance from the film Roadside Romeo.

Roadside Romeo on Rubaru

2008-10-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Cupid on the sets?

2008-10-24T09:20:00.001-07:00

Turns out that ever since Keshav laid eyes on Torsha Sarkar, he has been smitten. And some say his feelings may be reciprocated, too. And thus began ‘Sarkar Raj’. [Ha, and you thought it had something to do with Ramu’s film.] I haven’t been able to get further details, but keep watching this space—because I never admit defeat.
Now, Charit’s story is even more hazy. Seems all the girls think he is hot, but they also think he is boring because he doesn’t talk too much and he certainly does not rowdy around with them. However, Priyanka Negi is of a different opinion. To her, he is just HOT, HOT, HOT. There could be a romance brewing here, people!
In fact, Chang and Deepali tried to force Charit’s hand in the matter—to make him admit to the little crush. Chang gave him a rose and asked him to present it to the girl he liked the best. But Charit turned out to be as wily as a fox. He coolly ignored Priyanka and gave the rose to the only married woman in the group, Shini.

Deepali: Idol’s sweetheart

2008-10-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Deepali was a good singer who didn’t attract much attention until Meiyang Chang decided to make her blush with a rose. Overnight, she became the sweetheart of Indian Idol. Her popularity may not have taken her right to the top, but Deepali is not too upset by it.

“I did feel bad then because I felt I should have been in the Top 3,” says the new host of Rubaroo, “but now I realise it was not such an achievement after all—because being in the Top 7 gets you an anchoring part!”

We caught up with the bubbly girl on the sets of Idol and she opened up on her journey so far, Chang and the new bunch of talents on the show.

How does if feel to be back on Indian Idol?

It’s great, almost inexplicable. Last year, on Indian Idol 3 I was so tense—there was pressure to perform, to make it to the next gala. But now everything is so relaxed. I enjoy being a host and, more than anything else, I enjoy being a part of this show. If there is an Indian Idol 10, I would still want to be a part of it!

What preparations did you do before you turned host?

Well, the auditions were impromptu. We had no prepared scripts to read from. So Chang and I needed to know how to talk to strangers, how to be spontaneous. For practice, we would go to the malls in Mumbai—like Inorbit and Infinity—and we would approach total strangers and talk to them as much as we could. This helped us understand how different people would react to us and we ought to react to different situations.

And, on a more personal level, my look was changed. I got a makeover—my hair was coloured, my makeup was changed, and I was given a completely new dress sense and sense of style. On Indian Idol 3 I was always dressed in salwar suits, lehengas and even saris. Now my clothes make me look much younger.

How is it working with Chang?

He is the best co host I could have asked for because not only were we friends on the sets of Indian Idol 3, but we have also kept in touch after that. We have been working together for a year now. When we got this offer we were very happy that we had a friendly face on the sets—someone with whom we have the comfort level as well as the ''sparking'' chemistry.

Moving onto your singing, did you pursue it in the last one year?

I sang a duet with Emon [Chatterjee] for Annu Malek in the film Don Muthuswami. It''s a love song called Tum kaun ho. Though it didn''t get much publicity, I think it was a truly beautiful song.

People expect that once you come out of a reality show, you have to turn a playback singer. But I soon realised that was not the only option. Live concerts and shows are great learning experiences. I’ve done lots of them, both in India and abroad. I’ve sung in Hong Kong, Dubai… I just returned from Kuwait and, I must say, when I went there I never expected people to have watched Indian Idol, but the response was huge.

In India, the response I get from small towns and villages—like Nagpur, Ramgar, Lucknow—is tremendous. Live concerts and shows are great learning experiences. You have to play with the band, you have to keep a different audience entertained every night, and everyone has to happy with you.

Do you have any other offers in hand?

No, not yet. I am studying in UPG College in Mumbai. I am doing BMM and I am very busy with that—I have to study, I have to do live shows and now I also have Indian Idol in hand. I don''t have the time to sleep right now. [Laughs] But if I get some good offers, I will definitely do them.

How has the response been to you as a host?

Oh, it was very good. At first people never expected me to do well in the auditions because they thought ''arre yeh to chup chup rehti hai'', how can she express herself? But after the auditions, their mindset has totally changed. Now they know I can speak, I can shout, I can do whatever needs to be done.

Hosting Rubaroo is certainly different from the auditions. Which do you prefer?

Yes, they are both totally different from each other. On Rubaroo, you have scripts ready and a set of questions to ask, while in the auditions you have to be instantaneous and spontaneous—you have be ''turat turat turat'' because there is no one to prompt you ki Deepali ask this question. It has to come to you. I would say I definitely prefer the auditions.

Coming to this year’s contestants. Do you think they are better that your batch?

I feel they are more qualified than we ever were. Most of them are classically trained and quite a few of them are also professionals in the field of music. They are singing fabulously and I am sure the audience will enjoy their singing.

Are you rooting for a girl this time?

Yes, most definitely. It''s high time a girl won. Last year, when I was voted out, I asked the audience to vote for either Pooja or Ankita. This year, I hope they do vote for a girl.

Kailash Kher Fan Club Unplugged!

2008-10-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

Looks like all are out to woo the newest judge on Indian Idol 4, Kailash Kher. Every other contestant aspires to render a new version of the musician's hit song Teri Deewani... but Kailash had a weird fan experience, but guess what, he loved it to the core!!

Through the auditions Kailash was not just put to test for the vocal skills of contestants, but also had heard them repeatedly sing his own song. “In fact the Lucknow auditions of the show had not just one, but six people entering the room for audition at the same time and singing his song,” says our source.

“The team of 6 young men have now formed a forum AIKFC that stands for All India Kailash Fan Club. Kailash was overwhelmed to know that his fans respect him and his fan club even existed. But the irony came when they started to sing a besura version of Teri Deewani… for him,” adds the source.

Annu who couldn't control his laughter started making fun of the act and said "Kailash tumhare fans toh bohut surile hain!” An upset Kailash gave it back to Annu with "Fans hona ek baat hai aur surile doosri!" Kailash got up and joined his fans on stage and dedicated a song for them!

Kailash is a true Idol of his fans. Isn’t it!

Different Moments of Piano Round 2

2008-10-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol recap: Episode 10

2008-10-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

When hope and fear went hand-in-hand
There may not have been any celebrities on the sets, but the second day of the piano rounds on Indian Idol had its starry moments. The highlight of the show was when Kuldeep sang Teri Deewani—Kailash Kher was so impressed by it that, when Annu Malek asked him to give his rendition, he didn’t hesitate to sing a duet with the overawed Kuldeep. What the viewers didn’t catch on TV was their electrifying performance on stage—both the singers matching each other note-for-note, pitch-for-pitch. It was truly awesome.
But not everything is rosy:
With the highs have to come the lows. And on Saturday, it was the eviction of not one but four girls at one shot. The tension had begun building the moment Hussain and Chang decided to play a prank on the girls. They called Purnima, Srijita, Priyanka and Bhavya on stage and made it sound as if Bhavya had to pack up and leave. The tension scaled a little higher when Annu announced that he had the envelope with the unlucky contestants’ names in it.
Soon it was time to open the envelope and, in one clean sweep, Purnima, Raina, Sunakshi and Pooja were declared out of the show. Tulika couldn’t believe that her roommate Purnima had to go home, and burst into tears—she was inconsolable for the rest of the show. The judges, too, were in shock—over Sunakshi’s eviction. They couldn’t believe that the Mast girl, whom they had lauded during the first piano round, had been felled by the viewers’ votes. They implored the audience to think really hard before they eliminated contestants with potential.
However, the entire show was not veiled with tears. The boys gave a commendable challenge to the girls’ performances on Friday.
Rajdeep hits a sixer:
Rajdeep Chatterjee began the innings with a well delivered Laaga chunari mein daag. Javed Akhtar felt his innings was flawless and effortless, almost like a smooth-flowing river. But Annu had a more interesting way of summing it up: “Cake lage, ice cream lage yum yum yum, mujhe aapke awaaz mein lage dum dum dum.”
Saurabh Mehta followed it up with an equally well appreciated Zindagi maut na ban jaye. Kailash said that his voice “has a filmi andaaz” and that he hopes the country votes for him and gets another great playback singer.
Charit’s Badi mushkil hain attracted kudos from all the judges (who liked it because it was rich with emotions and expressions) except Kailash—who wasn’t too impressed.
Frisbee fan Mohit’s great throw:
Mohit Lalwani took over the stage with the evergreen hit Ek haseena thi. HE had the audience on their feet and the judges clapping along. Kailash felt that he had loads of energy, while Annu said “ladke mein dum hain”. Javed and Sonali Bendre, however, felt that though Mohit’s voice throw was very good, there was still room for improvement.
Prasanjit Kosambi sang well but did not sing in the right octave that his song Dil hain ki maanta nahin deserved. While Javed advised him to choose the right octave, Annu made the boy sing it again in a higher octave—to prove what a difference it makes.
Keshav Prasad, however, failed to do justice to Tu hi tu satrangeele. Sonali felt that his singing was a tad too mechanical and Javed thought that the junoon and deewangi that the song deserved was missing in his rendition. But Annu, as usual, had the last word. He said that he was expecting so much from Keshav that his bad performance “broke my heart”. “You were not involved in the song,” said Annu. “Where was the sur? I am very disappointed.”
Rocking Roshan has a less than rocking show:
The boy from Kannur in Kerala tried his best with Tanhaee, but the judges were not too impressed. Both Kailash and Javed felt that he OK, though he lost his sur in the beginning. Annu exclaimed: “Teri awaaz mein narmi hain, garmi nahin.”
Parashar Joshi tried to get the tempo going with Yaa Ali. But he only managed to make Annu think that he was shouting and not singing. Javed advised him to better his pronunciation.
Ali Hussain managed to revive the boys’ flagging confidence by delivering a well-appreciated Piyare. While Kailash and Javed said that he sang well (though his voice needed a little more polishing), Sonali asked him to be wary of forgetting the lyrics. Annu’s verdict? “Teri aawaz ko sunkar mere dil ko aya hain chain.” Pranav Srivastava had everyone on their feet, dancing, with his Chal chaiya chaiya. Though Annu thought that he did go nasal at times, Javed was impressed because he did not try to copy Sukhwinder—but, instead, gave the song his own touch.
This is no army song:
Kapil Thapa, the army man who was inspired to join Indian Idol after Prashant Tamang won the title in 2007, drew on the audience’s heartstrings with his Dil kehraha hai. Sonali had only two words to describe his singing—“You rocked!” But Javed and Annu corrected him on his choice of octave. They encouraged him to experiment with his range and to constantly challenge himself.
Indian Idol’s ‘chhota Don’ was on next. Remo Ghosh from Nagaland tried his best with Yeh hawaein. Though his tender years and lack of experience shone through, his vivacious personality helped him evade harsh criticism. Javed warned him that a similar performance from an older boy would have been ripped to shreds. Annu asked him to promise him three things: that he would work harder, do more riaz, and do lots more masti!
And then came the song and the singer that floored the judges. The unassuming Sandeep Ubale came on stage and blew everyone away with his perfect rendition of Rim jhim gire saawan. Javed was so impressed, that for the first time on the show, he stood up and applauded the singer! Sonali said that Sandeep “transported” her, while Kailash said, “I see a very big star in you.”
Try, try, try and you will succeed:
No one knows this better than Bhanu Pratap. After auditioning for and being rejected from all three previous seasons of Indian idol, this Jaipur boy finally got his chance to sing on the piano round’s stage. His Pehli pehli bar baliye moved all the judges. Javed said, “Your voice has tremendous emotion and feeling. You have a heart that understands pain.” Annu was also impressed. He said, “It is not an easy song to sing, but you sang it very well. But you have to try harder still.”
And now the boys must wait to see what effect their singing had on the viewers—for next week they will be the ones on stage, not knowing which four will have to bid adieu to the Indian Idol stage.

Priyanka Chopra on Indian Idol 4

2008-10-18T00:56:00.000-07:00

This Friday, October 17 will see the top 15 girls perform. They are young, vivacious, extremely talented and go getters! Flagging off the first episode of the Indian Idol 4 - Piano Round is none other than the glamour girl and star of Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion – Priyanka Chopra.

While Priyanka's presence boosted the confidence of the pretty little ladies, we also have the past Idol winners present to boost the morale of the girls. Indian Idol winners - Abhijeet Sawant, Sandeep Acharya and Prashant Tamang were there in full force to support and cheer the girl's brigade. Whoever said there is a male bias?

Here are all the Indian Idol guys cheering the girls in an effort to find their first female Indian Idol. Looks like it's going to be a tough time for the guys this time with everyone from the judges to the winners rooting for the girls all along.

Going by the history of the show, last year we saw only a few girls making it to the top! Will the audience support them in their endeavor and vote for them is the big question?

Indian Idol 4: Episode 9

2008-10-18T00:51:00.000-07:00

The grueling auditions and the tense theatre rounds have finally borne fruit—we now have faces to put to the Top 30. And kicking off the piano round were the 15 girls. But before we get to the singing, we have to mention how things were just a little different on Indian Idol this Friday—not least of which were the two new hosts.

Hussain didn’t have the vivacious Mini on his arm this time—instead he had the cheeky and bespectacled Meiyang Chang meeting him repartee for repartee. The ‘partner’ and ‘buddy’ kept the audience in splits with their gags and their jokes.

Queen bee of Fashion: Priyanka Chopra turned her back on fashion shows and walked off the ramp, right onto the Indian Idol sets, to give the contestants a well needed boost of confidence. Dressed in dark blue jeans and a silver top, she praised, applauded and offered constructive criticism wherever necessary. Hats off to you!

Ananya sets the tone for the evening: Birju Maharaj’s grand daughter proved that she, indeed, has music flowing through her veins. Her song, Suno sajana, had Annu exclaim, “Wah wah kya gaaya, lagta hain kahin se tufaan aaya,” while Sonali said, “You have lived up to our expectations… now keep bettering it.”

Bhavya also impressed with her Mal mal ka kurta. Priyanka felt that the 16-year-old had very naively added seductiveness into her song.

Pooja and Shini didn’t let the judges down either. Pooja’s Sajna ji vari vari was so well performed that Priyanka said she was “completely entertained and totally enthralled”, and the only advice Annu had to give was that she “challenge herself”. And Shini’s Dil hoon hoon kare had Javed Akhtar exclaim: “Only a girl from Gwalior, the city of Tansen, can sing like this.”

The Don professes his love: In the midst of lilting melodies and enchanting voices, Hussain couldn’t help but inject a lighter note. And he pounced on little Remo to provide the diversion. He claimed that the ‘little Don’ (why Don—because Remo believes he is a pocket-sized powerhouse) was harbouring a secret—a crush on Priyanka. Hussain and Annu teased Remo so much that he finally admitted to the actress: Chote Don loves you. Priyanka took it in her stride, saying: Meri history rahin hain ki Dons ko mujhse pyar hota hain.”

A discordant note: The naughty Megha, who is always on the lookout for victims for her jokes, failed to strike the right chord with Yeh hain reshmi zulfoon ka. Though she began the song with confidence, the judges felt that it sounded over practiced and that she lost her sur. In fact, Javed said it was the weakest performance up till then.

Torsha and Purnima, who followed her onto the stage, were not able to regain lost ground either. Torsha’s Baiya na dalo oh balma got mixed responses—while Priyanka thought she was so perfect in her sur that she was having fun with it, Annu felt that she went off key. Purnima’s Beedi jalaile got a very tanda response. Sonali said she was disappointed and Kailash claimed, “Gana utna gehra nahin laga.”

Akanksha brought up the rear of this group and she too couldn’t make a mark. The judges unanimously felt that her song, Tujse naraz nahin zindagi, did not have any expression or soul in it.

The tide turns: Sourabhee, the petite girl from Agartala with hopes of becoming a singer and entering the world of glamour, realised her dream—and how! Her song Tere bin nahin jeena marjana dolna had Javed in raptures. He said: “Here is a girl from Agartala, singing a Hindi song with Punjabi words, in Mumbai, and the whole of Hindustan is listening to her.” Priyanka admitted that she got goose bumps when she was listening to her sing.

When luck came knocking a second time: Nirali had been heartbroken at the end of the theatre round when the judges chose Srijita over her. She couldn’t grasp how she could have come so close to realising her dream, only to lose it. But things did not remain dark in Nirali’s life for too long. The lucky girl got a second chance when one of the contestants had to bow out of the competition for personal reasons.

She took the stage with the desire to make the judges see that they had made a mistake by rejecting her the first time. And her rendition of Aisa jadoo dala re did just that. The judges applauded Nirali’s confidence and her performance. But Kailash did advice her to move the mike away from her during the loud notes so as to avoid the appearance of shouting.

Coping with the ups and downs: It was Tulika’s turn to impress with her Urmila-esque matkas and jhatkas as she sang Rangeela re. An impressed Annu succinctly said: “Teri awaaz mooh se nikli aur meri dil mein bas gayi.”

However, Sreejita was not able to carry the momentum forward. She faltered with Leja sandesa. Javed felt that she was not able to hit the higher notes, while Kailash said she didn’t complete the mukhda.

Then it was the cutesy Sunakshi’s turn things around. The girl with the teddy bear (who incidentally got a seat beside her on the stage) rocked with the song Mast. Priyanka couldn’t believe that such a sweet girl could give such a power-packed performance.

The final two: Raina, who loves to sing so much that every given chance she breaks into song, was not able to hit the right notes with Mera dil ye pukare aaja. Though Javed felt her voice was a very individual one, the others felt that the emotion and the essence of the song were missing in her performance. In fact, Sonali felt Raina didn’t even know when to draw breath correctly while singing.

But things did not end on a bad note. Priyanka proved that she was determined to win the Race with her song, Khwab dekhe chote mote. And her namesake at the judges’ table exclaimed, “Aapki naam ki tarah aapki gaayki bhi badi sundar hain. Javed, too, had some high praise for her—one of the top three performances of the day!

The performances may be over, but the tension is not likely to go away any time soon. After the country has chosen its favourites, four girls with the least number of votes will be eliminated. It’s tough luck, but then that’s life and that’s competition. After all, the show must go on.

Chang spills the beans on life after Idol & Deepali

2008-10-18T00:41:00.000-07:00

Chang—the Chinese boy with Indian roots—seems very relaxed in his role as the new host of Indian Idol 4. Dressed in jeans, a white shirt and brown jacket, he seems in his element as he shares repartee with the more experienced Hussain.

The boy who stole hearts with his floppy hair, sweet smile, and lilting voice on Indian Idol 3 is no longer shy to speak his mind. In an exclusive interview, he spills all about life after Idol, his 'relationship' with fellow contestant Deepali and his role as host—cum—confidant.

How does it feel, being on the other side?

Last year [on Indian Idol3] was great, but there was so much going on. Sometimes I was scared, sometimes I was psyched, sometimes I was worried. There was always this feeling that I had to give my best, but what if that best didn't come? Despite the anchors and the judges being there for us and giving us the best advice they could, the pressure was on.

This year, however, I am used to most of the things and I also don't I have the tension. Of course, when I have to sing, like I sang today, I give it my best… though there is no one to give me bad comments. [Laughs]

Hosting is also a challenge, especially with such an experienced anchor like Hussain. I have to make sure that we connect—that there is no mismatch. There is also added responsibility for me because I am with the contestants before they come on to the stage to sing. That is when they are the most nervous and I have to help them cope with the tension.

How was the experience during auditions?

The experience during auditions was great. But since it was so widespread, with so many people, we [Deepali and Chang] were not able to react or respond to people individually. Though we tried our best, I am we missed out on a lot of people.

Didn't you want to try your luck auditioning for Indian Idol one more time?

I believe that not getting to the Top 5 and not winning the title actually worked in my favour. Because if I had won the title, then I wouldn't have been able to do what I am doing now.

Your 'relationship' with Deepali started with a rose. Though you denied being anything but friends during Indian Idol 3, did your relationship take a different turn after the show came to an end?

There was really nothing between us… it was all part of the show. But I guess it did help in a way because at that time Deepali was one of the lesser noticed contestants and that incident gave her a lot of mileage. And it is also because of the rose that Sony decided to bring us back.

How was it working with Deepali? How did you complement each other?

It was very nice. Even after Indian Idol 3, our entire batch has kept in touch. Most of us also live in the same area in Mumbai. The bond with Deeplai has also been strong because we come from the same area—Jharkhand and Bihar. The bond has worked and the people have loved us. We are definitely coming back to host Ru Ba Ru together.

Are you still working as a dentist?

No, not right now. [Laughs] Initially, I quite naively thought that one year down the line (which is now) I could split my life in two—do shows in the morning and go back to my practise in the afternoon. But I soon realised this was impossible. Dentistry has a fixed schedule, while in this industry we can never predict when we will be called or when we can leave a shoot. However, someday I would like to go back to dentistry and do a course in the US.

What was life like after Indian Idol 3 came to an end?

There were a lot of questions in my mind when Indian Idol 3 came to an end—where would I be in a year's time? But I think it is also about luck and hard work. I got a contract from Sony BMG—for a band with Parleen, Abhishek and me called F4. It was really great.

Did you get any offers to sing? I didn't get any playback offers, but I did get some offers to sing jingles. 9x and Disney also approached me—one was as a participant, while the other was as an anchor—cum—singer. I was really interested in the Disney offer because it was unchartered territory for me… and there was also the added attraction of all those cartoon characters. But both clashed with Indian Idol so I had to decline them.

What are your plans now? I want to explore new things. I have already acted in a film by Arindam Mitra called The Seventeens. That's made me realise that I want to be an actor. As The Seventeens is a smart budget, festival—like film, I don't know how much of a future it will have—but it has inspired me to look at acting more seriously. So I guess I will be concentrating on singing, anchoring and acting from now on.

A male or a female idol? Which do you think we'll have this time?

I think the chances are more for a female idol. But then again we should not look at it like boys must win or girls must win. Whoever has the best potential must win.

About Indian Idol

2008-09-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol is a popular television show on Indian television, a singing talent contest to determine the best undiscovered young singer in the country. It is based on the international Idol series format, launched by UK show Pop Idol.The program airs two back-to-back prime-time shows a week: the first night features an hour of performances while the second night features an elimination. The show is produced and broadcasted on Sony TV, India and is coproduced with FremantleMedia (makers of the Idol series), which is owned by the German media corporation BertelsmanSeason OneThe winner of the first season of Indian Idol was Abhijeet Sawant.The last 12 finalists are thought to have a good chance of finding a place in the Indian music industry and films. For example, Rahul Saxena, who failed to make it to the top 6, has been offered a song by Indian Idol judge and director, Farah Khan, in her new film Om Shanti Om and Amit Tandon got work in a new serial from Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms. Amit Sana, Rahul Vaidya and Prajakta Shukre have released their solo albums.
Season TwoThe winner of the second season of Indian Idol was Sandeep Acharya.Many of the top 10 contestants have commenced their singing careers. Neha Kakkar has rendered a song for a pop album where she sings "Chandani Raatein". Yashashree Bhave has tied the knot and settled down, teaching students music at her home. Panna Gill is doing stage shows and has just released a solo album. Sixth place contestant Meenal Jain has done stage shows with Sonu Nigam and also received an offer from Anu Malik. In addition, Antara Mitra, a regular favorite of Anu Malik, has also been presented an offer from many music directors and also is recording her solo album. Antara also gets to sing a duet with the Indian Idol in his album for being the top female contestant.Antara also sung a duet with Sonu Nigam in Speed. Monali Thakur, has sung for Preity Zinta in the movie Jaaneman(2006), as promised by Anu Malik. There is also an album being made with the top five (which consists of Sandeep Acharya, N. C. Karunya, Antara Mitra, Anuj Sharma, and Amey Date.)
Season ThreeThe winner of the Third season was Prashant Tamang, who hails from Darjeeling in West Bengal. The runner-up, Amit Paul was from Shillong, Meghalaya. Voting count of Indian Idol 3 Finale has broken many records, around 7 crore (70 million) votes were received .

Sonali to judge, Chang, Deepali to host Indian Idol

2008-09-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Sony is back with the fourth season of its popular music based reality show Indian Idol 4 In an attempt to make it bigger and better the channel had roped in actress Sonali Bendre as a judge who was recently seen as a judge on Mr. & Miss TV. The channel has retained Anu Malik and Javed Akhtar from its earlier season and along with Sonali the channel has roped in singing star Kailash Kher to adjudicate.Albert Almeida, Executive VP and Business Head, Sony said, “Sonali Bendre is the fourth judge on the show who will be joining Anu Malik, Javed Akhtar and Kailash Kher on the show.”Talking about the probable hosts of the show, Albert said, “For time being we have zeroed down on the last season contestants Meiyang Chang and Deepali Kishore to host the auditions for the show. If our viewers respond positively to their hosting, we will think on retaining them as the official hosts of the show.”

Deepali Kishore to host Indian Idol 4

2008-09-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Deepali Kishore, nicknamed the ‘nightingale’ of Indian Idol 3, started singing at the tender age of 3. Her positive approach and her affable smile made her the audience’s favourite. Deepali was one of the few contestants to receive the support of all the judges and was known to share a great camaraderie with her co-contestants. Judges believed that her voice quality was refreshing, melodic and had everything it took to be an accomplished singer.
Apart from training in classical music for 5 years, Deepali has diversified into dancing and acting too. An original bundle of fun and laughter, this vivacious girl from Patna has the knack of speaking in funny ways to make everyone laugh!
Deepali returns to the Indian Idol stage which brought her fame and love of millions of viewers. However, this time she will co-host the audition phase of Indian Idol 4 with Meiyang Chang.

Indian Idol 4 - Call for Auditions Exclusive promo

2008-09-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol 4 Promo

2008-09-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Judges of Indian Idol 4

2008-08-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sony Entertaintment Television has announced the name who take the seats as Judges for the Show.The Judges for the Indian Idol Season 4 are
1. Anu Malik 2. Javed Malik 3. Kailash Kher 4. Sonali Bendre
Executive VP and Business Head of Sony Entertainment Television Albert Almeida, said, “Sonali Bendre is the fourth judge on the show who will be joining Anu Malik, Javed Akhtar and Kailash Kher on the show.”

Kailash Kher is set to judge Indian Idol 4

2008-08-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

Kailash Kher, known for his soul singing, is set to judge Indian Idol season 4 along with Sonali Bendre, Javed Akhtar and Annu Malik. Indian Idol’s fourth season is going to start from next month, registration and audition for Indian Idol 4 is already started. This season, Indian idol has retained its previous judges, Annu Malik and Javed Akhtar, while roped in new pair - Kailash Kher and sonali Bendre. Here is what Kailash Kher says about his new role…What got you to join Indian Idol?

I have been associated with Indian Idol before (Guest judge last season). It’s
a very good platform to find new talent. Have we not heard of cases where
people have sold their land to make albums and are now on the street? Here we
don’t charge a single penny. But there is one problem and that is to separate the good from the ordinary. Many non singers also land up at the auditions with false hopes. And when they
get rejected, they create a scene. But we have to focus on only finding true
singers.

One major criticism of reality shows is that the winners disappear after some
time?

The channel gives them so much exposure, what more can they do. Now it’s the
singers’ responsibility to start working hard. Their real journey actually begins
after the show ends. But it’s sad to see that instead of concentrating on their
music, these guys pay more attention to their hair, (applying gel) clothes (wearing
torn jeans) and shoes. They even start making girl friends. And this
criticism that reality shows dump their finds is totally wrong. Forget the
winners, even those who make it to the finals have managed to buy their own houses
in Mumbai, which is no small task.

Your take on the SMS voting?

Agreed SMS may have some biases but then similar mistakes can be made by the
judges as well. Even if we accept the argument that the best singers do
not win, they alone will survive in the long run, for this industry only
recognizes talent.

Public perception is that the judges’ fight is all staged?

Pubic perception is very short lived. As for differences of opinion,
they are bound to happen. Don’t our MP’s make big scenes in Parliament,
but no one accuses them of drama?

Don’t you think reality shows have been done to death?

Yes given the large number of similar shows, quality has dropped.

Your previous reality show, Mission Ustaad bombed..

I am very proud to be associated with that great show, for it stressed on the
UN Millennium Development goals, a hope, I sincerely believe in. As for
the show not doing well, these things happen. Firstly 9X is still a
fledging channel and secondly when you have to compete with scantily clad
girls, your ratings are bound to suffer.

Deepali To Host Indian Idol 4

2008-08-20T09:41:00.001-07:00

Deepali To Host Indian Idol 4

2008-08-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Exclusive Promo of Indian Idol 4

2008-08-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol 4 Audition Detail

2008-07-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

To register in indian idol 4

SMS IDOL to 5252525
Or you can call on 5052525

Audition Detail of Indian idol 4

I am not sure about this date...But i found that date for more information about indian idol 4 keep watching sony tv
Audition of Indian idol 4 in ahmedabad : May 7th & 8th,
Audition of Indian idol 4 in Amritsar =May 9th & 10th,
Audition of Indian idol 4 in Bangalore = May 12th & 13th,
Audition of Indian idol 4 in Guwahati = “ May 13 & 14th,
Audition of Indian idol 4 in Kolhapur = May 15th & 16th,
Audition of Indian idol 4 in Varanasi = May 16th & 17th.
Audition of Indian idol 4 in Delhi = 23rd May
For more info watch TV
Sony Entertainment Television now brings the fourth season of this popular series. The talent hunt begins as auditions start across the country.
The fourth season will see Anu Mallik and Javed Akthar on the hot seats as they take judges' chair once again for the show.

New Hosts For Indian Idol 4

2008-05-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Auditions for the Indian Idol Season 4 are in full swing and the latest news is that Mini Mathur will not be hosting this season of Indian Idol as the talented host is expecting her second kid this August. But there is a good news for Idol fans as two of the very promising and talented finalists of last year, Meiyang Chang and Deepali Kishore, will be seen hosting the audition rounds of Indian Idol this year.

Deepali's Take on Life after Indian Idol

2007-10-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

Deepali, one of the popular contestants of the recently ended Musical Reality, Indian Idol talks about her life post Indian Idol.
Life after Indian Idol: Life has changed completely; I am a different person altogether now. My personality has changed for the better, I am more confident. Socially, people have started recognizing us and they love us.

Your First Stint as a Playback Singer: I sang with Emon for Annu Malekji. I don’t remember the movie name, but it was a Shakti Productions banner. It was a soft romantic song.
Your take on Annu Malek, the Music Director: We all thought that Annuji was very strict, but it was so nice working with him. He was like a father to me and Emon, we learnt a lot from him.

Friends with all? : Yes, we are all in touch. We are contenders later, but firstly, we are friends..

Any new offers in the pipeline: We are doing many shows for the channel, but nothing more as a playback singer.

Rocked the night after the finals, did you? : Yes, we all had a blast after the finals. We danced the whole night and had a blast.

Your best ever Concert performance: It has to be the concert I did with Prashant in Nepal. That was the best show, people there love Prashant a lot. It was raining badly, it was cold too, but all in the crowd danced their way thro’ the night and enjoyed. It was absolutely flashing, was a Hit Show.

Shifting base to Mumbai? : I really don’t know. I want to shift, but if I do, I will have to come with my mom. I cannot imagine of staying alone. When we are busy with shows, it is fine. Otherwise, I am totally jobless, and it hurts being alone.

Deepali, the Performer or the Singer: Deepali is a better performer now, after Indian Idol. But I can never compromise on my singing; I have always been like that. But now, I sing with lot of attitude that it really looks like a performance. This is a learning curve, so I am learning.
Your Future Plans: I want to establish myself as a playback singer, but it is a very tough route ahead. You can see many struggling to reach there. I need to work hard on my voice and singing. I think I need to prepare even harder for the next few years to reach this level.

Any Bollywood Aspirations: No, Deepali is better off as a singer. There are many who are more beautiful than me. As of now, I want to concentrate on singing.

We are friends and we will be friends: Prashant, Amit

2007-10-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

Till the last few minutes before Prashant Tamang was declared the third Indian Idol, Amit Paul and him, the best of friends, kept holding hands. And when Prashant won the title, the happiness and joy was noticeable on Amit’s face too. I am really happy that my best friend has won the title, so what if I did not win, it has gone to the same house as he is my family, Amit told. To me both of us are winners and I would have been happy even if Amit would have won it, he has been with me since the beginning, added Prashant. Now, the doors are open, the birds are flying and the world is colourful for both of them after this dream-come-true event. While Prashant got a one-year contract with contest organisers Sony, Amit is confident that he will also get a number of opportunities. Now there is no looking back, I want to win the hearts of millions of people with the help of my talent and I hope this will happen, Amit maintained. But for Prashant there is a matter of concern: he has to take permission from his Kolkota police employers to make his passion a profession. I will go back to Kolkota and take the permission of my seniors to go on singing, he said. Prashant, a 24-year-old Kolkata constable of Nepali origin, hails from Darjeeling, while Amit, also 24, is from Shillong.The two singers have different expectations from Indian Idol-4 next year. One says it’s the best as it is and the other feels changes are required. I don’t think any change is required. Indian Idol is best as it is, said Amit. Prashant felt the contest should go to small towns too as there is a lot of talent there. Till the time they explore this they won’t find the true talent. Prashant attributed the bulk of his 70 million SMSs to his friends in the Kolkota police and to Mayor TB Rai of Mirik town in West Bengal. I am really thankful to my Kolkota police friends who encouraged me to participate in the show, he said.

'My world has changed overnight' --- Prashant Tamang

2007-09-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

He's tired and excited simultaneously. He's extremely eager to go back home and meet his friends and family. The 24-year-old is yet to come out of the dream run that has just ended a few days ago.

Are you relieved?

Quite. I can't believe that from a nobody I‘ve suddenly become note worthy. My world has changed overnight. I am stunned to see that so many people gathered outside the airport to see me.

Aren't you a star now?

If I am, I owe it to all those who voted for me. I can't stop thanking them. There are quite a few people in Darjeeling and Kolkata who are special to me. I would like to meet and thank them.

You mean your colleagues in the Kolkata police department?

Yes. I know how aggressively they have campaigned for me. My seniors too who have given me so much love.

What about the celebrations back home in Darjeeling?

I heard that a holiday has been declared there and people burst crackers all night. I'm happy that I could make their dream come true.

Weren't you under pressure till you were declared the winner? Who wouldn't have been under pressure?

I would be lying between my teeth if I said I wasn't. But more than myself, I
was concerned about my mother. I could see her tense face in the crowd and knew that if I didn't win her dreams of seeing me as a singer would be shattered. Fortunately, nothing went wrong.

Didn't the announcement shatter Amit Paul's dreams?

That upsets me. I would have been equally happy if he had won. We have both got a platform. It will help us in the future. Everyone likes to win. Amit and I had become very close friends. We will continue to be.. the show's result will not affect us.

Any plans to become a professional singer now?

Definitely. So far the votes have done miracles for me. But now it's up to me and I won't let the chance slip away. I would love to sing in films too apart from the album.

What about your job with the Kolkata police?

I haven't decided yet. I have won only a few days ago. The euphoria is still there. But I am confident that my superiors will help and support me in making my dreams come true.. just the way they have been helpful so far.

Will you quit your job?

I have left that to fate.

When will you go back to Kolkata?

I want to come right now.. but I can't say when will I be able to make it.

Should the format of Indian Idol need to be changed?

2007-09-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

After five months of hard work, music and fun, finally the wait for next Indian Idol came to an end and the title of Indian Idol 3 was bagged by the Sepoi Prashant Tamang. But it has raised a question that "Should the format of Indian Idol need to be changed?" among most of the viewers.
The procedure for the selection of an Indian Idol is similar to the selection of American Idol in the United States. I truly feel that the Idol format is not working in our country. In US where the Idol movement started, the majority of the people talk the same language, share the same food habit and mostly belong to the same religion. Their voting pattern to some extent are unbiased, but look what is happening in India. Indians are voting in favor of their state,religion completely overlooking the talent of the participants.
It is also important that SET publish all relevant information regarding voting, especially when tens of millions of people paid to cast their votes. The declaration should include a complete breakdown of the vote distribution by state and region, along with a complete listing (location, date, IP address etc.) of the single sources of votes exceeding 1,000. This disclosure would make the system transparent and would increase the public confidence in future high-profile contests
like these. At this time, I am interested in knowing how many of those seven crore votes actually originated from the sepoys of the police forces and the jawans of the armed services and how many from the rest of the voters!!

Prashant Tamang is Bharat Ki Shaan, The Indian Idol 3

2007-09-23T21:50:00.001-07:00

Hailing from Darjeeling, Prashant has now become the Boy Next door, as he has managed to walk into the hearts of the people of India, with his lively songs. John Abraham declared the name of the winner at a glittering function in New Delhi. An ecstatic Prashant hugged his parents and thanked the Kolkata Police, judges and his fans as he accepted the prize--a one-crore music contract and a Maruti SX car. After months of hard work, perseverance and dedication, the 24 year old Prashant Tamang reached to the winning title in grand style. From being a part of the police force in Kolkata, to being the youth icon of the country, Prashant surely has come a long way. With a total of 7 crore votes that came in, Prashant Tamag got away with the maximim votes.
The runner up of third season on Indian Idol was the young heart throb of millions - Amit Paul. Amit not only managed to make it to the top 2, with the wild card entry, but was also chosen as the Brand Ambassador of Meghalaya during his journey in Indian Idol. Along with Prashant Tamag, Amit Paul too was gifted a brand new Maruti S4 car, for his brilliant performance. Both the contestants were gifted a Sony Erricson mobile phone, apart from the love and fame that they recieved over the last three months from people all over the world. We wish the lucky winner - Prashant Tamang a hearty congratulations, and wish Amit the very best for future.

Prashant Tamang -- Bharat Ke Shan

2007-09-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Prashant, the boy from Darjeeling and constable of Kolkata has been crowned the Indian Idol 3.People of Darjeeling and Kolkata Police are overwhelmed with joy after their own boy is crowned the title Of Indian Idol 3.7 crores Votes were casted in favor of two contestant which is a new record.People were raining votes in favor of their favorite contestants. But as you all know only One will be the winner of this show... so Amit was left out for a few votes. It's was a tough luck for Amit. But nevertheless it's time for cheer for Prashant.

The Countdown Begins to Crowning Bharat Ki Shaan

2007-09-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

As pulse rates get higher, and time ticks by, the whole Nation is gearing up to witness the Indian Idol Grand Finale Tonight. So Are You All ready for the Finale??
The Final Countdown has Begun and we are just a few hours away from crowning our new Bharat Ki Shaan...The Indian Idol Finalists Prashant Tamang and Amit Paul are just one step away from reaching the pinnacle of Success, as their fate will be written tonight in the Grand Finale. Whatever the result be, the whole Nation has fallen flat for these two Future Rock stars and Singing Sensations! On the eve of the Grand Finale, Amit Paul and Prashant Tamang savoured the dream-opportunity of meeting the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh at his office. The small-town boys who have become the Nation's Pride now, were believed to be overjoyed with this interaction. Back in their hometowns, the tension associated with the Grand Finale seems to have peaked to no end, as the voting lines close at 6 in the evening today.
Indian Idol is surely going to have one nail-biting finish, with the whole Nation rooting for both Amit Paul and Prashant Tamang. Well, as time ticks by, the Music Lovers all across the Globe have only one common prayer to say – May the Best Talent Win!

Countdown begins for Indian Idol

2007-09-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

The countdown has began in the northeast for today's final of the Indian Idol singing contest with two finalists -Darjeeling-born Prashant Tamang and Meghalaya's Amit Paul - getting an overwhelming response from people of the region. Tamang, declared a brand ambassador by the Sikkim goverment, has received support from several associations of journalists, taxi drivers, tribal youths and businessmen as well as ministers and MLAs. Huge banners and hoardings have been put up across Sikkim that hail the young singer as the "glory of the hills". His mother has toured different parts of the state to make emotional appeals to people to vote for him on the reality show. GNLF chief Subash Ghising, AIGL Chairman Madan Tamang and CPI-M MP Suraj Pathak have also campaigned for Tamang in the Darjeeling Hills. In Meghalaya, the telecom department has assured people that they will not face any line congestion during the show featuring local lad Paul. A car rally was organised in Guwahati today to mobilise support for him. Several other functions were also organised in the past few days to garner support for Paul, who hails from Meghalaya's capital Shillong.

Kolkata is taken by storm

2007-09-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

It was a never before musical night at Kolkata. Amit and Prashant looked as excited The crowd kept on cheering them. Amit and Prashant sang one after another. Both of them were looking great and performed superbly. A sweet Bengali girl came up the stage and asked Amit out for a date. Amit blushed like a boy! Soon, glittering stars like Usha Uthup, Anu Maliik, Mona Singh and finally Zubin Garg came to boost them up. Usha sang Saiyoni and Hari om Hari with them. Zubin sang Ya Ali with both the finalists. The show ended with some great performances by cool duos.

Public Voting in Reality Shows - Boon or Bane?

2007-09-21T00:25:00.000-07:00

As the jungs between contestants in our favourite musical reality shows are growing nearer, we, as the viewers, are clinging onto our seats, in utter anxiousness to see if our winner will come to the end. How can we assure that our favourite will make it to the top? Well, if you've got no mobile or cell phone, you're pretty much out of luck. For years together now, the basis of voting in music shows have been us, the janta. We make the final decision of who wins the title and who doesn't - but is this fair?Tears fall from our eyes when we see our favourite contesants get eliminated from a show and lose their chance of becoming India's next voice. This gives the incentive for viewers to not blame themselves, but rather, the channel. Whose fault is this?Channel heads will blame it on the public voters - after all, it's use who send hundreds of SMS messages everyday to keep our favourites at the top, but when we see them go, who do we blame? The last resort is to blame the format of the musical reality shows, where this question arises - should we continue to have public voting as the final decision maker for the shows? If talented contestants are getting ousted out each week, then should the judges have the final say in who goes and who stays? What should be the actual format for these shows?We cannot decide ourselves, but we can surely think. Is public voting the way to go? Are we able to trust our janta to the fullest and make sure that talent wins over everything else, or must the judges and other important factors be forced to play a key role as well?

AMIT VS PRASHANT ? Who Will Win The Crown!!

2007-09-17T23:28:00.000-07:00

ABOUT AMIT PAUL

This struggling singer had given up his studies to pursue his passion. When the chance to participate in Indian Idol came along, Amit Paul thought it was a godsend. But his dreams seemed to be in danger of dying even before they matured. He was voted out early in the show.
But he got a second lease of life through a wild card entry. And there has been no looking back since. This perfectionist is now in the finals. Will the `find of Indian Idol`, as the judges call him, be crowned the winner.

ABOUT PRASHANT TAMANG

The police is all about duty, force and action. Not an ambience that nurtures a singer. But this sepoy beat all odds (no formal training in music is a huge factor) to make it to the Indian Idol stage. The first Nepali to ever take part, Prashant Tamang soon had everyone wrapped around his little finger. His fans were so enthusiastic in voting for him that he has never been in the danger zone till date. Negative comments from the judges only spurred him on to do better. Now he has proven his worth and he is in the Top 2.

“I want to rule the music industry” - EMON CHATTERJEE

2007-09-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

When the heartbeat of Indian Idol, Emon is eliminated everybody including Mini and Anu Maliik, cried for him but he did not shed a single tear. He came across as a brave soldier, who is ready to take the Indian film industry by storm.

You seem to have taken the verdict quite sportingly. Or are you hiding your disappointment?

I am not hiding anything. Definitely I am sad that I’ve to leave now. But it`s ok… it is a part of the game. It could have been anyone’s turn this time. It could have been Prashant bhaiya or it could have been me. Now I’ll go out of here, practice hard and become the best singer. I promise that to those who voted for me.

Did you expect it?

I did expect it today. We have come to a stage in the contest when anyone can be eliminated. It could have been Amit or Prashant, too. If I was shocked then I would have cried a lot and said ‘I don’t want to go’. I didn’t say a single word. Today was my turn to go… it’s that simple.

Does this verdict prove that Prashant and Amit are better singers than you?

Won’t say better singers… but it is for sure that my training helped me a lot in my good singing, while Prashant bhaiya has never received training… still he sings well. This is a huge thing. Apart from this, he is a very good human being.

About Amit bhaiya, from day one I said that he has the talent to be the Indian Idol. He is original. No one ever said that he imitates anyone and he consistently gave good performance. He is an able candidate to be the Indian Idol.

Do you imitate Sonu Nigam consciously or it is just a coincident?

Absolutely not. I never consciously imitate him. And I don’t believe I sound like Sonu Nigam at all. Two people can be similar in looks and voice… it can happen everywhere. It is just a coincidence. Why should I imitate him? After all he is already there in the music industry… why would people take me if he is already there… why should I imitate someone who is ruling the music industry?

Javed declared that you can neither make it as a playback singer nor as a stage performer. Are you willing to challenge him and prove him wrong?

I don’t want to comment on that… I guess he was hurt or irritated by something… it`s ok… he is an elder and he is the best lyricist in India… I`d rather not talk about his talent. But he advised me that I shouldn’t sound like Sonu Nigam and I’ll defiantly work hard to sound different. I have a dream that one day I’ll sing a song written by him and composed by Anu Maliik. Hope, it comes true one day.

You said that you want to be a true Indian Idol. Tell us about it.

I meant that I want to be an Idol in the true sense. The real idol for the masses… the people of India. I want to take music career to new heights. I want to rule the music industry.

Who would you vote for? Amit or Prashant?

I’ll vote for both. But otherwise I would pray that Amit bhaiya wins. It`s not that Prashant bhaiya is not good. He is a good singer, but Amit bhaiya is even better. I want Amit Paul to be the Indian Idol.

What are your future plans?

I want to work a lot harder on my voice and be the best singer in India. After my board exams I want to come back to Mumbai to start my career in the film industry.

Will you try acting?

If I get a chance then I’ll definitely give it a try. But the deal would be that I get to sing for myself in the movie. I would like to be like Kishore Kumar—who was a good actor, composer, music director, lyricist and producer all packed into a single personality. I would like to be a versatile performer.

One thing that you’ve gained here that you’ll cherish for life?

The comments of the judges. Those golden words will be with me for life and that is the most important thing that I’ve gained here. They will help me improve my voice. Each word is worth lakhs of rupees. They are priceless.

John Vs Bipasha in Indian Idol

2007-09-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

John Abraham and Bipasha team up with Indian Idol Finalists;Amit Paul and Prashant Tamang. Bipasha choose to support Amit while John Choose Prashant. Their "Goal" is to support and boost the two competitors before the finals . So with the battle lines drawn and the sides picked, there was no time to waste as the fabulous fight of music rolled on.
In the first round, each contestant sang a song of their choice. In the second, they sang a song given by the other as challenge. Prashant sang Amit's choice of song for him "Badi mushkil hai" so beautifully that Anu Malik vote hom for the Indian Idol title. Prashant's challenge for Amit was to sing Bulla ki jaana main kaun.. Amit got a standing ovation from all the four judges for it!
In the final segment both contestants sang Tanhaiyee… from Dil chahta hai… the judges found it hard to decide who was better. It is going to be even harder for the viewers, this is a fact. Once again every viewer wishes that the best man wins the Indian Idol title. Go ahead and select your BHARAT KI SHAAN!!

Indian Idol finalists Rock Mumbai!

2007-09-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

The stage at Nirmal Lifestyle, Mumbai was on fire as the two Indian Idol finalists, Prashant Tamang and Amit Paul rocked the city with their performances. The show started off Hussain, Amit and Prashant welcomed the audience in their own typical ways. Then Sanjay Dutt made a guest appearance on stage to cheer for two competitors and to also thank the audience for their support during his crucial time. With the festive occasion of Ganesh Chathurthi coming up, Sanjay and the contestants performed the Ganapati Arti on stage Sanjay quickly bid everyone a farewell, after officially giving the count down to the voting lines being open and followed it up by singing a song from the movie - Kaante and by talking a little about his latest release - Dhamaal.
Soon after Sanjay’s exit, Amit and Prashant consecutively took over the stage. Amit made the audience fall in love with love all over again by singing - Pehla Nasha, Nasha yeh Pyaar Ka Nasha Hain, and Yaad Aa Rahan Hain Tera Pyaar…Later, Prashant got the entire crowd on their tows by singing - Rind Posh Mal from Mission Kashmir, Dil Ne from Kaho Na pyaar hain, and Bas Ek Pal.
Soon after the performances, Ritesh Deshmukh joined the performers and spoke to the audience about his new film - Dhamaal. Karishma Tanna did a little jig with the guys on - Ishq Di galli from No Entry. Preeti Saberwal and Vidya from Chak De India, too came to wish both men the very best for the finale, and presented them with a hockey stick each. Then for duo again rock the stage. The audience were simply crazy about them.
Indian Idol is now in a stage of finish to the finals. As the voting lines are open so start voting for your favorite contestant. Today Bollystar Bipasha and John Abraham is going to come to boost the spirit of Indian Idol.

Voting public to be blamed for bad singers coming in Indian Idol

2007-09-14T03:03:00.000-07:00

Sony Entertainment Television is strongly denying the rumours going around that there is some rigging going in Indian Idol voting process. An offical source said, "We have a reputed third party organization which audits the voting process, which is very fair. People are wrongly blaming us for Emon's and Chang's Ouster, You don't vote for the right singer, and then cry about a lesser person coming ahead. Prashant has a sizable number of people in his home area and the police force who are voting en block , so he is winning." The source went on, "Don't the judges (Alisha wanted to walk out ) also complain about audiences voting pattern? Although Emon was a good singer, we alway knew that he will be out, because he did not have required public support."On the question of making the vote figures public, our source said, "The format(
Indian idol is international format) does not allow for the same . And secondly, if we do give the voting figures, will it not affect the next rounds result?". Taking a dig at the opposition, the source further went on to say that both those shows(Sa Re Gama SVOI) are homegrown and could have had the judges saving the contestants( which we cannot do, due to above format restriction) , but even then they prefer to ape us. When reminded that something similar had happened during Qazi victory in Fame Gurukul2, the source empathetically denied any wrong doing even then too. "We Indian's like the underdog and support him, hence Qazi came ahead..
So please vote for your favorite contestant rather then just crib.

Amit Paul has all the trappings of an Indian Idol

2007-09-13T03:07:00.000-07:00

He is good looking; he sings like a dream, he is a ladies’ man. He is Amit Paul. He hails from Shillong. He can sing in Hindi, English, Nepali, Khasi and Bengali too, that is when he isn’t singing in Tamil and Telegu etc. Is that good enough to be the next Indian Idol? The next week will tell. Soft spoken and well mannered, Amit Paul is a hit with women wherever he goes. This multi talented youngster auditioned for Indian Idol for a lark. Only after moving ahead in each round, did his confidence grow. But when his best friend and buddy Bhavin was voted out of Indian Idol, an emotional Amit could not go ahead with his performance. Overcome by emotions he forgot his lines. It did not go down well with the judges, but when he revealed the real reason for forgetting his lines, he won over the viewers and the judges as well. Viewers voted him back in the Wild Card round. Amit has not looked back since. Having felt the angst of elimination, he practices hard and remains the most focused contestant on the show. With each week, he has gone from strength to strength in his performances. The judges are amazed by his determined fight back. They see in him the next Indian Idol. So do most people, going by the flood-gates of votes that have opened for him. If Amit Paul is your choice for Indian Idol; go ahead and vote for him in large numbers. It is your chance to play an important role in giving the Indian music
industry a voice to be proud of.

Will Prashant prove to be the dark horse at Indian Idol this year?

2007-09-12T04:24:00.000-07:00

He is the nicest guy ever, say all those who know Prashant Tamang. With his childlike innocence and his disarming smile, it is hard not to like Prashant. This Nepali cop from Darjeeling has not only done his community and his police force proud, but has become an inspiration to all youngsters who dream of making it big, but don’t have the courage to take that first step. With sheer faith in himself, this youngster has reached the TOP TWO of Indian Idol. My life has turned full 360 degrees,he says,since coming to Indian Idol. I have to pinch myself to realize that it is not a dream; I am indeed here in Mumbai. It is beyond my dreams he says with a smile. He has been singing in the police band and has been hugely popular. Few know that he strums the guitar too.On Indian Idol, he has moved up in the eyes of the judges and viewers alike, with each passing week. Annu Malek never fails to praise his courage and determination to reach the top. Prashant has worked really hard to get here and I will not be disappointed if he is the next Indian Idol, says the hard to please music director. If Annu Malek sees the
potential in Prashant, then he sure has what it takes to win the title.

Indian Idol Finalists to Perform in Mumbai!

2007-09-10T03:31:00.000-07:00

The two finalists of Indian Idol, Amit Paul and Prashant Tamang will be at Nirmal
Lifestyle, Mulund on Tuesday September 11, 2007 to perform live for the first
time ever in Mumbai. The most exciting part of this performance is that the contestants whom you
have so far seen only on your television screens will be performing live
exclusively for their fans in Mumbai. They have won the hearts of people
wherever they have gone; and votes too. Here is your chance to see and hear
your favourite Indian Idol contestants in person and support them with your
votes. A golden opportunity for the fun loving Mumbaikars -- an evening of
music, singing dance and the works. Your favourite top two contestants have
reserved the best for Mumbai. They will sing their favorites songs and yours too.
All music lovers are invited to turn out in large numbers to show your
appreciation for the Indian Idol contestants who have worked hard to make it to
the final round. The competition is tough and they need all your support and votes in large
numbers. Don't forget to vote for your favourite contestant. Your favourite
contestant is all set to battle it out for the title of Indian Idol: Bharat Ki Shaan. Your
votes will help him achieve his dreams and make you proud to have played a
part in finding a golden voice.

Amit and Prahsant In The Indian Idol Finale

2007-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Talented Amit and Sizzling Prashant is in the Indian Idol finale. Emon, the little Sonu is eliminated this time. It was a heartrending scene on the Indian Idol. It's very unfortunate to loose such an outstanding singer. But we have to accept the reality -- one has to go out of the Indian Idol to get Bharat Ki Shan ... Indian Idol 3. Mini generally declares the name of the eliminated contestant but this time she also hesitate to decalare the name. It was our Javed ji who declared Emon's name. Emon ended up his Indian Idol with a faboulous performance.

Adnan Sami 'Lifts' Indian Idol to new Heights!

2007-09-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol has reached its penultimate stage. The top three are in place. The three young men were looking like rock stars. They are singing at their best. Today Adnan Sami 'Lifts' the Sprits of the Top 3 Contestants in Indian Idol. Everybody was as delighted as the contestants to have him on stage with the contestants singing Aa raha hoon main from Dhamaal the film that boasts of having Adnan as the music composer. Each contestant sang two songs each… all Kishore Kumar numbers of Adnan's choice.
Emon swept everybody off their feet with his opening number…Yeh jo mohhabat hai from Kati Patang. After last week's controversy and arguments about his singing, Javed Akhtar was very happy with his singing and performance. Prashant followed it up with a delightful rendition of Ek ladki beegi bhaagi si.. Annu Malek's whole hearted praise reduced the young man to tears. It was the first time anybody had showered him with so much praise. When Amit sang, time seemed to stand still. The judges were unanimous in their verdict…the film industry has found a new singing sensation they said.
In the next round the contestants dedicated songs to their loved ones. Emon dedicated Banke tera jogi to his parents. Prashant dedicated to his friends in the police force Bheege honth tere… Amit the emotional one amongst them dedicated to his grand mother … Betaab dil… for which he bagged full marks from Javed Akhtar.
The evening ended on a high note with the jugalband between Adnan and Fazal Qureishi the talented younger brother of Ustad Zakir Husain.

Jojo in Roobaroo this Week

2007-09-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Third season of Indian Idol is in its final phase now and the competition gets tougher, as it is ‘Survival of the Fittest’ between the 3 top contestants. The 3 contestants left in the fray, basking in all the attention and enjoying every moment of it, Amit Paul, Emon Chatterjee and Prashant Tamang are having a great time.

The surprise guest of the evening was Jojo, who made the show more memorable for the contestants, by singing his new song Maheru from his latest album. Jojo had a confession to make! He said that he has been following Indian Idol and that he loves Amit’s voice. "It's great for playback singing", he revealed. He said that he is rooting for Amit as the next Indian Idol and he feels that the whole nation also wants him!

Amit Paul drives Shillong crazy!

2007-09-05T04:22:00.000-07:00

The city of Shillong went into a festive jubilation at the news of Amit Paul returning home to meet his people. The usually unmanned and cold streets of Shillong were packed with people and suddenly one could feel the warmth and welcome that they wanted to give to their representative at Indian Idol. At Guwahati airport, there was a crowd of thousands of crazy fans wanting to have one glimpse of their hero: Amit Paul. From the Guwahati airport to the Bada Pani Lake, Amit halted at every 10 meters to talk and shake hands with his followers, friends and fans. At Bada Pani lake, he was welcomed with a Khasi Tribal dance. “This was a dream and now I believe that some dreams do come true”, says an over excited Amit Paul with tears in his eyes. “This is an experience of a lifetime; these moments will last in my mind forever.”The crowd followed Amit everywhere making it look like a caravan round the city. There were girls who ran behind Amit’s car for over three kilometers to get one autograph!!! After the Bada Pani Lake, Amit Paul made his way to the Air Marshall house which was crowded with localites’, who wanted to meet Amit Paul, and he came to the gate and met his fans personally. In the evening, at Jawaharlal Nehru sports complex, Amit witnessed and performed to a maddening crowd of over two lakh people. He held them spell bound with his rapturous music and mesmerizing renditions of some of the top chart busters and evergreen songs from 80’s and 90’s.Surely girls kissing, friends hugging and the crowd wanting to shake hands with this young man shook the life out of him by the evening. But still Amit maintains, “This was the most memorable day in my life at Indian Idol”. It was because of this platform that i got this fame, love and adulation from everybody. “Indian Idol rocks!” says Amit. At a press meet held this morning at Chief Minister's residence, Amit Paul was honoured with the title of brand ambassaor of peace of Meghalaya.

'To me, first priority is singing' - Amit Paul

2007-09-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Amit Paul has made it big in Indian Idol, he is in the Top 3 now. Here is the heart throb of all girls, talking about his experience and much more..

"Nasha Yeh Pyaar Ka Nasha Hai..." When you hear this song, you only think of one person : the heart throb and "lover boy" of Indian Idol, Amit Paul.His looks, his versatality in singing has really created magic, as fans all over India are falling in love with this all-rounder, who definitely has it to be our Idol.

How does it feel to be in the TOP 3:

Amit: I thought that I was voted out this week, but im glad im safe. I was honestly very scared, when Ankita read out my name, I thought that this was the end, but im glad im still here.

How have things changed after being in the TOP 3?

Amit: Its just getting tougher day by day, all the singers are just too good.

How has your journey in Indian Idol been so far?

Amit: Every moment in Indian idol is special for me! When I came to the audition, I wasn't sure, if I’ll be able to make it, because I didn’t have any formal traning. I am surprised how things clicked, and how suddenly the people of India were there on my side, supporting me.

Who do you think is your toughest competitor?

Amit: It’s a difficult question, because there is no competition here. Emon and Prashant are like my brothers, and if any one sings badly, we go and help that person out, so its basically a competition with yourself, where with each performance, you need to improve yourself, and that’s what we are all doing here.

Which judge has been your toughest critique so far?

Amit: Alisha was my toughest critique.

What’s the key difference between performance and singing? What’s your take on it?

Amit: In Indian Idol, you need to be an excellent singer, and a great performer. In my case, my first priority is singing, and then performing.

If you could bring back one eliminated contestant, who would it be?

Amit: Definitely Deepali!

Hypothetically, if at this stage, you were not here, who would you give the winning title to, including the eliminated contestants?

Amit: Emon or Prashant!

Your fans simply love your versatality, and they have been voting for you over these last few weeks, any special message for them?

Amit: Thank-you every much, I will work really hard to impress you, I know you really love me, I am very happy for it, I will work very hard, and make my fans proud!

If you are to win the Indian Idol 3, what would your first instant reaction be?

Amit: If I was to win the Indian Idol title, I would first kneel down and thank God and thank all my fans.

'Javed Sir and Annu Malek have been so supportive'- Ankita Mishra

2007-09-03T04:12:00.001-07:00

With Ankita Mishra's elimination in Indian Idol, all dreams of having a girl as Indian Idol this year, has faded away. Here is Ankita Mishra in an interview after her shocking Elimination.

What is your reaction after getting eliminated from Indian Idol?

Ankita: I was completely blank on stage. When my name was announced, I really didn't know how to react. I wouldn't say that I didn't expect this, I was prepared for elimination from the theater rounds. It was a little shocking, since I wanted to be the girl who would be in the TOP 3, but oh well. I am disappointed, definitely.

What about Indian Idol are you going to miss the most?

Ankita: I'll miss the stage the most. The stage that has given me the most recognition. I laughed, danced and sang on the stage, and that's why I didn't cry on stage, since it would be unfair.

The judges that you are going to miss the most?

Ankita: Definitely Javed sir and Annu Malek. They have been so supportive to me. There were so many things that I would have liked to tell them, but then I was just completely blank.

What's next in line?

Ankita: Well, I'll go back home, and spend time with my family and friends, who I haven't been in touch with. And go back to studying; however, I do plan to persue my career in music too.

Do you plan to make it big in Mumbai, or heading off to Kanpur again?

Ankita: I am planning to move to Mumbai and try to make it big as a singer, along with studying science.

Any message for the remaining contestants?

Ankita: I would like to wish them all the best. May the best contestant win!
Three Cheers to the charming Ankita aka Anky Baby aka Ankit aka Ankiteshwari for entertaining all; for making a mark in Indian Idol.

The graceful performer, ANKITA is eliminated

2007-09-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

This time itz time for Ankita to be eliminated. With Ankita Mishra's elimination in Indian Idol, all dreams of having a girl as Indian Idol this year, has faded away. Today Prashant was the first to be declared to enter the Top -3 , then it was the turn of Amit to be safe while Emon and Ankita were in danger zone. When Mini asked the judges to choose one of them out of two -- all the threee judges except Javed vote for Emon. This time janta also supported the judges and Anky-baby Ankita was out of the show.

As Javedji said Ankita Mishra was surely the 'Life of Indian Idol' and her electrifying performance will be missed in every gala.

The Battle of the Famous FOUR on Indian Idol this Gala

2007-08-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

The anxiety of who will be the next Indian Idol is rising week after week as the show has just four contestants left. The battle has already begun and to get more votes and good remarks from the judges, Amit Paul, Prashant, Ankita and Emon boast of superlative performances in the tenth Gala.

It turned out to be a treat to watch each of the contestants performing two compositions from choices made by the judges. Javed Akhtar remarked that Amit’s train on Indian Idol was on the right track and has gained the momentum, as he set the exciting tone for the evening with his song “Dil Kya Kare” from Julie. And while Amit was basking in all the praise, there sneaked a surprise guest to test his singing skills. It was none other than Tushar Kapoor and to add some fun in this exciting moment, he had a novel idea where he would enact a song and Amit would recognize and sing it for him and this turned out to be a fun session.

Prashant proved himself to be the dark horse of Indian Idol with his performance as he sang “Kuch Naa Kaho" from 1947 A Love Story and followed it up with “O mere dil ke chain”. This was a proof for his tremendous improvement week after week. Ankita was not far behind and stole the show with her two thunderous performances in Anky Baby style! Emon who has always been considered “Chota Sonu” rendered the title song of “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and his soulful singing left a deep impact on all the judges except for Javed Akhtar as he remarked that he was sounding more like Sonu. But he proved him completely wrong with his next song “Dilbar mere”, a Kishore Kumar number indicating Annu Malik's stand that Emon is a singer par excellence is indeed true.

Sharman Joshi and Kunal Kemu made their presence to add more excitement and fun with the Indian Idol participants.

Now its the time to vote for your favorite contestant. Vote ...vote n vote to your favorite contestant so that you don't lose him/her.

"I think voting system should be 50% public votes and 50% judges' choice." -- Meiyang Chang

2007-08-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Meiyang Chang has been every girl's favorite contestant, whether it is Mini or Alisha or the screaming teenagers sitting among the audiences. His good looks, coupled with a great voice and distinct style of presentation makes him irresistible as a contestant. His elimination was a rude shock for everyone, including himself.

Q. Are you angry that the public has voted you out despite your good performance?

Ans: I am not angry. I can't be angry with public, as there was a time when I was not singing well. At that time even I got ahead due to public votes. That's why I never said anything against public voting.
I can't blame anybody as the public has the right to choose whom they want to. At the same time, I feel it could have been a 50/50 voting system. 50% public voting and 50% judges' choice. But if that that was the rule then I wouldn't have been here today. Probably from the next time, they can consider this. It will help those who have worked hard to be better singers through the show.

Q. Your last performance was better than Emon's; do you think he should have gone instead of you?

Ans: If Emon had gone, then it would have been a total flop show. Emon is superb and he has to be in the finals. Honestly, Ankita should have gone. She was pitted against Puja, and she is till there. She was pitted against Deepali, and she is still here. Puja and Deepali are definitely better singers than her.

Q. So do you think Ankita should have gone, not you?

Ans: Maybe, maybe. Nobody is bad, somebody is good and somebody is a little weaker then that…. if you consider a person's voice, how good he is with music etc. I don't think I am that good. I am confident but I never put myself against some of the trained singers. At this stage, I am not that great. If I have to rate then I'll rate Prashant, Ankita and me at the same level. Each one of us has our strong points and our weak points. Maybe I should've gone ahead, but never mind.
I guess Ankita has something that others don't…. and public has voted her for her strong points. I wish her all the best!

Q. Do you think performance is more important or singing?

Ans: I'll give it an 80:20 ratio. 80 for singing and 20 for performance. In the audio-visual medium performance enhances the entire experience but it can never be at the cost of singing. You can't go off tune and perform well after that.

Q. Has Indian Idol changed your focus in life?

You are a dentist, now you seem to have transformed into a full-time singer. Ans: Yes, I've found my true calling, and at present I want to really work hard with my singing. I want to get good training and emerge. It's not that now that I got voted out, so I want to prove something to someone. It`s just that now people have noticed me now. They like my voice so I want to make the most of this opportunity and grab the best of offers that I get.

Q. What is your future plan? Do you want to do playback?

Ans: I want to learn music from a good trainer. At the same time, i want to go and meet the music directors & struggle to make my place in the industry. Playback singing is very competitive. Before plunging into it, I want to improvise myself. Perhaps cut an album of mine and then I'll definitely be ready. But if someone calls me in the meantime with some offers then I'll definitely grab the opportunity. I just want to become better and better and better.

Q. Do you want to continue with your dentist practice?

Ans: At this point of time, it will take a backseat. My focus right now is to be related to the industry. I don't know how but I've to figure it out. I want to come back with a bang! I want to see what opportunities I will get out here. For instance, Suhit has done an ad for Kit Kat. People are getting breaks because of Indian Idol. I want to see if something good is waiting for me too.

Q. Alisha looks heartbroken that you're out. Will you miss her too?

Ans: Alisha madam has always praised me a lot. She is an amazingly sweet person. She even walked out of the stage when they declared I was out but I didn't want her to take such a drastic step. I was glad when she came back and gave me this cap as a memento. I will keep it as a precious gift for the rest of my life.

Q. Do you think they're being honest with their judgement?

Ans: With me, I've always felt that they have been honest. In fact, I can make out from their reactions only, if they like my song or not. If they like it, they praise openly, if they don't, then they don't want to break their heart. So they'll just say they're happy. By that only you can gage, what they're feeling. I am pretty happy with their response.

Q. Any message to the public?

Ans: Thank you very much for bringing me till here. There are just 4 people left now, so please vote sensibly and do not forget me. Please remember me till I come back as an even better singer.

Leslie Lewis in Roobaroo this Week!

2007-08-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

Roobaroo on Indian Idol is the day for just fun and masti. Here, the contestants get to show the viewers their hidden talents. The contestants have fun, while Mini Mathur makes sure to have fun at their expense. And in this week’s Roobaroo, it is Leslie Lewis who is the guest and he too makes sure to keep the top four contestants' in good stead.

Viewers would get to see Prashant for the first time playing a guitar and singing a Nepali song. Amit sings “Chand Mera Dil”, while strumming the guitar as a pro and wooing the audience. Emon would be on the piano and with so much going on, can anyone stop Ankita from dancing? It would be really funny to watch her traipsing with Prashant, while singing the song “Pyaar Hua Ikraar hua”. What's more, after watching this diverse talent of these contestants,Leslie Lewis is really in awe with all the four. As a mark of advise, Lewis gave them tips for the future; this was followed by a round of musical session. With Mini too joining in, it turned into a rocking jam session. After watching all this, Leslie was now convinced that this Indian Idol Team, with some good singers, musicians and dancers, can actually form a band of their own, like Boney.M.

'Friends, parents and orchestra troupe, my inspiration' - Prashant

2007-08-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

The Sepoy, Prashant Tamang is the new singing sensation, he has been tagged as the 'Uncut Diamond' by Alisha Chinoi, the judge of Indian Idol. Though he has no formal training in music, he has always maintained that professional touch in his songs and is now into the Top 4 of Indian Idol. Being associated with Kolkata police since 2002, he sings in the police orchestra and has grooved many to perform to his tunes. He has a big fan base following and the girls love this Sepoy.

You have never been in bottom 3, so do you think you have the highest chances of winning this contest?

Prashant: No, it’s not that; we cannot say anything. All are good and the competition is tough now. Anyone can go out. Do you want to go back and join the police profession or you want to stay back here and be a singer?Prashant: As of now, I am focusing on my singing. I just hope that things fall in place; I am not thinking about future as of now. Did you ever think you will come this far in Indian Idol?Prashant: Of course not! I never thought I will get selected for the Galas, this is definitely a Dream come true.

Who has been your inspiration to pursue music and singing?

Prashant: Inspiration to do well in singing has come from friends, parents and my orchestra troupe..

Who is the best judge according to you?

Prashant: It definitely has to be Annuji. He is frank, man main jo hai woh bol dete hai.. Annnuji..

If you were to bring back one eliminated contestant, who would that be?

Prashant: Abhishek!

How was it to sing before Sonu Nigam?

Prashant: It was very nice, was a dream come true.. I was very excited to sing before him, but I felt sad that I could not impress him that much.

If you had to choose your Indian Idol today, who would it be?

Prashant: It has to be Amit!

And now one song you want to dedicate to all your fans and well wishers out there….

Prashant: Yaar Ko Maine Sone Na Diya.

The judges have named him as the 'Dark Horse' of Indian Idol. Prashant is the only contestant who has still not made it to the Danger Zone even once, in the Gala Round. If this statistics remains intact for few more weeks, then Prashant Tamang will surely be the 'Bharat Ki Shaan.'

'As the race slims down, there will be more heart breaks' - Annu Malek

2007-08-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

As the race for Indian Idol 3 gets bitter, Annu Malek speaks about who he thinks is the best horse :

Your first view on Chang's exit?

Its very sad that such a great singer like Chang had to go. I really liked him. But then, that's the format of the show. Somebody had to go, Remember, as the race slims down, there will be more heart breaks not less. But rest assured, this good looking dentist from Dhanbad has firmly arrrived on the Indian music scene.

Now with just 4 contestants left, how do you assess them indiviually?

Amit Paul has the ideal combination, of both a great voice and a superb personality.Emon is a very versatile singer, but needs to work on the over all package.Ankita's stage presence is mind blowing. Prashant is the dark horse of this contest and may yet end up surprising many of us.

Playing a devil's advocate, who would you want to win?

Amit or Ankita. Amit is the find of Indian Idol 3. Ankita, for she will be the first female to wear this prestigious crown.

Why do you keep fighting with the other judges?

The problem is that I call a spade a spade. When Emon was faltering, I told him off. And the results were there for all to see. Yes, I do argue with the other judges, for they act unfair with some of the contestants.

Don't you think that too much emphasis is being placed on presentation?

See, Indian Idol is an audio visual experience. Having said that, a perfect voice still remains the no 1 requirement. For if tomorrow, I bring in a very besuri, but sexy looking chic, will it work?

Even the judges seem to be giving extra emphasis to looks?

Now that's where you are making a mistake. What we say is, look after your health. Is it wrong to look good and fit?

You have been a part of Indian Idol, since the very beginning...

Its great. Infact I have been called the face of Indian idol by the higher ups at SET. The fact that I alone survive season after season, clearly shows that the public loves me.

The format is criticized on the front that what does audience know of sur tal. Your take on it..

Don't ever underestimate the smartness of the voting public! They can choose the right voice. After all, could Annu Malik have become what he is today, without the janta's support? They are the ones who buy my cd's.

Will the contestant get work, after they finish from here?

See, we have given these talented set of youngsters a platform, the rest depends on their hard work and determination. When we came up, there were no such opportunities. Now atleast when they go looking for work , people know who they are. So folks, here were the free flowing words of the most controversial judge of Indian Idol. You love him or hate him, but you just cannot ignore the man.

Alisha's Chingo-Mingo Chang Is Out Of Indian Idol

2007-08-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Meiyang Chang, the third generation Chinese who is settled in India is a dentist by profession and is one of the most popular contestants in Indian Idol, both for his looks and his singing capability. Meiyang Chang, who was heartthrob of the girls is eliminated today. Chang sizzled with Om shanti om in the last gala and was praised by all the judges. But still janta didn't find him the right contestant to be in the final four of the Indian Idol 3.

Today there was a poll among the contestants about whom they should feel be eliminated from the Indian Idol. All the guys felt that it should be Ankita while Ankita felt it should be Emon. Even the janta in the Indian Idol studios faced a similar type of secret votes in which 50% felt that Ankita should leave this competition. But Anky baby Ankita was safe this time along with Prashant. This time Amit, Emon and Chang was in danger zone. Amit was in danger zone for the first time in the gala while Chang was in danger zone for the last two consecutive galas. Finally that time ultimately came when Mini declared that it was the time for Chang to leave this competition. Alisha was shocked to hear this as Chang was his Indian Idol. But we have to face the reality and it is obvious that we will lose one after one contestant to get the Indain Idol 3.

Cool Pictures Of Yesterday's Gala

2007-08-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol Top 5 Performance

2007-08-25T01:45:00.000-07:00

The next Indian Idol is just few steps away as the viewers have selected Amit Paul, Emon Chatterjee, Meiyang Chang, Prashant Tamang and Ankita Mishra as their top 5 contestants who will be fighting to bag the third Indian Idol title. Chang brings back the memories of Rishi Kapoor and the revolving stage of the film Karz with his awesome performance on the song Meri Umar Ke Naujawano. Always being called as the girl’s favorite contestant, this song surely left a great effect on the audience as well as Alisha, who always called Chang as her Indian Idol. To keep on track, Prashant follows with another Karz number Ek Hasina Thi which impresses Udit Narayan to respond to his performance singing Indian Idol ki gali mein tumko aana thaa!! Amit is again applauded and appreciated by all the judges that he is really heading towards the right direction to bag the title for his performance on the song Yaad Aa Raha Hai!! Emon makes an entry in bulb laden outfit singing the Big B number Saara Zamana. He makes sure to lighten up stage not just with his outfit but also with his performance. After all these performances how could the Queen of Dance Ankita stay back. She too comes with a brilliant performance with the song Aap Jaisa Koi and force Anu Malik to comment that She has raised the bar of Indian Idol performers

It's The Time To Disco

2007-08-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

The five contestants were at their disco best. Chang drove the women crazy with Meri umar ke naujawano. Prashant followed suit with yet another Karz number Ek haseena thi. As the competition is going tougher and tougher these days, judges are not considering any mistakes of the contestants. Prashant this time also after starting brilliantly got off-key in the middle of the song. Amit once again walked away with kudos for his Yaad aa rahi hai.Emon lit up the stage literally! Dressed in a bulb-laden outfit a la Big B he sang Saara zamana like a true professional.Queen of Dance Ankita rocked with Aap jaisa koi. The master of rhythm Taufique Qureshi and his band performed with the Indian Idol contestants.
Let's wait and see to get the top 4 contestants today.

Happy Birthday Mini!

2007-08-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Today`s Roobaroo is full of surprises. First, Mini kicked off a musical game, where she gave the Top 5 a situation on which they had to compose songs. But the best surprise was reserved for Mini. It`s her birthday and everyone gave her a surprise party. Her husband Kabir Khan made song requests for his wife and the contestants happily obliged.

The countdown to choosing the Bharat Ki Shaan has begun, make sure you

2007-08-23T04:03:00.000-07:00

The countdown to choose the next Indian Idol has begun finally. Viewers are all voting for their favorites. And the number of votes that the contestants are getting every week proves is a clear indication of the popularity of the show.Now, the show has come to its race for finish. Radio Mirchi too has decided to jump into the run and help the viewers to choose their favourite as Indian Idol. For this, you just need to tune in to Radio Mirchi and follow the procedure for voting. But wait, it does not end here.

Radio Mirchi has decided to add more excitement to this voting. They will be selecting two lucky winners whose choice of finalists actually makes to the finals. These two winners will have the chance to select a song of their choice which the finalists are going to sing. Not only that, the two lucky winners would also get the opportunity to be the special guests and attend the Grand Finale to be held in Mumbai on 14th September, 2007. These would get the rare opportunity to meet their favourite singer and also be a part of the excitement and celebrations of this Grand Finale. This exciting contest by Radio Mirchi closes on 1st September. Time is short, so tune in to Radio Mirchi soon and start voting for your favourite, one who you feel is worthy of becoming the next Indian Idol. And yes, do keep the song ready with you, that you would like to hear your favourite perform.
Who knows you may be the winner!!

Bye Hawa Hawaii

2007-08-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Nobody really cried for Puja, or at least not on camera. The camera tried real hard to capture Emon's look, but he wasn't crying just smiling and being supportive. I guess he dried all his tears after Deepali's departure. So, we have a short look at Puja's journey. Her best moments on Idol, "Ek pyaar ka nagma"--her best song, in her opinion. Finally, she is in tears and wishes the contestants all the best and apologizes to her dad for not being able to live up to the challenge. Awww Puja, it's not your fault. You did your best. Alisha noted how contestants that sing well get eliminated. Good point, Alisha, though I have the theory behind it: If you sing well, then your fans get complacent. They feel she/he is somehow going to make it. So, they don't vote as obsessively and the fans of those who are predicted to be in danger, double up their votes---voila, the "good singer" loses out and is evicted. Puja leaves with her signature song from Mr. India--Hawa Hawaii.
Next week, Disco Fever round in the Galas!

‘Singing before Sonu Nigam was a Dream Come True for me’ – Emon

2007-08-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Emon Chatterjee is a multi-talented contestant of Indian Idol. He touches one's heart with his songs, his mimics make everyone laugh and when he takes his guitar to play, the listeners never fail to get involved into his tunes. This seventeen year old believes that he can make people happy with his songs. At this young age, he has a Bengali album to his credit and also has sung in local TV Channels. He brings a magical atmosphere on the sets with his performance and is considered to be the fore- runner in this contest.

How has Indian Idol platform been beneficial in your career?

Emon: Yes, without this platform, my journey to Mumbai might have taken another 2-3 years. It’s a honor to be standing right before Sonu Nigam and singing in front of Greats like Javedji, Uditji and AnnuJi. This experience has taught me so many things, which I will remember forever.

Who is the best judge according to you?

Emon: Sonu Nigam!! My God! It was a dream come true for me as I sang before him. It was my happiest day, but I feel sad that he was not a permanent judge this year. Even then, those moments were great for me.

Have you had any professional training in classical music?

Emon: Yes, I have been learning it for the past 1 year now.

Do you think it is beneficial to be a trained singer?

Emon: Definitely, you always get an edge when you learn music. With this background, you are ready to sing any type of song, and that is one reason why Sonu Nigam is my Idol. He is a living example for aspiring singers; he has sung every sort of song. Extraordinary!!Everyone including the Great Kishore Kumar had a basic training. Singing for such a long time needs training of course.

If you get an opportunity to bring back one contestant eliminated - who would it be?

Emon: Deepali … I don’t want to recall that evening, it was so sad… It was just shocking and depressing to me. She was my best friend ever. I have started missing her a lot now.

You are in Bottom 3 for the past two weeks, what do you think is your chance of becoming Indian Idol?

Emon: I am motivating myself to do better. All that matters is good singing. I want to be a good playback singer, so my focus is on singing. I don’t worry about performance on stage as I know that a playback singer just needs to sing in the studio and he need not have a basic training in dancing. Whatever happens here, I will surely concentrate on my singing and will carry on like this forever.

Indian Idol Rocks Delhi on Independence Day !

2007-08-20T05:14:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol contestants are a rage wherever they go. That they are celebrities in their own right is an understatement. The mania they generated on their trip to Delhi on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations only proved their star power. The final six contestants had the crowds dancing to their tune literally. The top six contestants of Indian Idol met the press at the Claridge before the performance. Their newfound confidence and their single minded focus on achieving their goal has not taken away from their down to earth ways. In fact, the "seniors" in this young group take charge of the ones who get carried away with the attention in public. Their bonding was there for all to see. The performance they put up at Rohini was simply mind-blowing. The thousands strong crowd simply went crazy. They just didn't seem to have enough of Ankita, Chang and Emon. While Puja, Prashant and Amit had the crowds applauding every song of theirs. If all that adulation translates into votes, it is going to be a very tough task to select the Indian Idol! A true memorable evening for the contestants whose singing and popularity drove the crowds crazy. A proud moment for all the Indians as the patriotic fever touched every Indian's heart. The evening began with yet another surprise. Alisha Chinai took the stage to perform not one but two of her hit songs Made in India and Main sadke jaawaan . For a change it was a unanimous decision that Alisha Chinai is a true Indian Idol!

Ohh!! What A Shock --- Puja is eliminated.

2007-08-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Dhanbad ke dynamite Puja is out of the Indian Idol. Just cannot imagine what happen to Indian janta!! On what basis they are voting for the contestants!! Puja who sang so superbly in the last gala is out in this gala getting the least amount of votes. This time Puja is in bottom 3 with Ankita and Chang. Its very strange to see that Prashant who is giving ordinary performance in galas has not yet came to danger zone while the best performers are eliminating one by one. When Mini declared that Puja have to leave this time Puja proved that she was a brave girl and took the decision quite sportingly. Her disheartened fans must have a thousand questions. But it's a reality that Puja is not in the top 5 of the Indian Idol.

Gala Performance Of The Top 6 Contestants

2007-08-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

The contestants had no clue what was in store for them, when the hooded figure walked into the sets. Thundering applause greeted Sonu Nigam when he came on stage. Sonu was back on Indian Idol as the celebrity judge.Sonu and Emon came face to face on stage after Emon's spirited performance of Sonu`s Tu. Sonu thought Puja`s Ruth saawan ki was very good. Ankita performed like never before. But as she was off-key as usual. All the judges except Alisha agree that at this point of Indian Idol she can't make a single mistake while Alisha was of opinion that Ankita gave her best shot in the gala. Prshant sang a very simple song and he was off-key in that song also.Udit declared that the fight for the title just got tougher. Amit once again walked away with all the praise. While Sonu declared Amit as the best package of the Indian Idol 3 and Anu Malik as the next Indian Idol ---- but Alisha told Chang was the best performer for this gala and he is Alisha's Indian Idol.

Alisha vs Anu

2007-08-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

It seems that the battle of the Titans will go on until we find our Indian Idol. Anu and Alisha fought over a trivial issue again. The argument
was about what was more important—100% singing or 50% stage performance. Anu backed Ankita by saying that she was 50% a singer and 50% a performer and that it made her more competitive as a contestant. Alisha argued that as a contestant on Indian Idol, one had to be a 100% singer. Like Deepali, who was the most talented among the girls. Javed, too, pointed out that singing was the single most important criterion.

Chang ka rose day

2007-08-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

It seems when Deepali is around, every day is a rose day for Chang. As Deepali started singing her last song, we noticed a sad and depressed Chang. He soon came onstage and gifted her a red rose, which Deepali gladly accepted. So is this the end of the love story or a fresh new beginning? Only time will tell. It was a happy ending for Deepali when Anu declared that he would give her a chance to sing for him very soon. Deepali jumped for joy to hear it!
Meanwhile, Emon cried uncontrollably as did Puja, who was Deepali’s roommate. Take it easy guys, a lot more shocking eliminations are on the way now! Save some for the next week.

‘Idol’ worship

2007-08-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

Lucknow turned out in full force to cheer the seven Indian Idol finalists at the Saharaganj Mall

If people were wondering why the Indian Idol concert looked a tad off-skew then here’s why— anchor person Mini Mathur came down with a bad bout of viral fever in Mumbai turning plans turtle at the last minute for the Idol team which was banking on her to string the show together. So while her hair stylist and make-up person arrived as per schedule, Mini had to beg out of Monday’s show at the last minute. A desperate hunt was then launched for a last minute anchor for the show which threw the young participants, still novices at public performances, totally out of gear. However, they took heart from the massive public support— people began flocking the mall three hours before the show was scheduled to begin— and went on to regale the crowd as best they could. Kanpur’s Ankita Mishra, thrilled at being voted the Judges’ wild card entry, grooved to the peppy Urmila number Rangeela.
“It’s now or never,” confided Amit at the press conference held earlier. “The show has reached its final stage. I am just concentrating on having fun and giving my best. It’s now in the public’s hands.”

On the sets : “It was the most shocking moment of my life” -- says Deepali

2007-08-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

A few minutes after her elimination, Deepali woke up to the fact that this was a final farewell. Her fans were heartbroken, so were the judges who had always favoured this multi-talented girl. But the aspiring RJ stood tall, trusting in her abilities. Ready to make a mark in media, Deepali vowed to come back with a bang!

How did you feel when you heard you were eliminated?

I couldn’t believe it. I simply couldn’t because my performance was very good, much better than the other contestants. When they announced my name I was dumbfounded. The voting system is so unpredictable that it is important for us to be prepared for any kind of verdict. In fact, I thought it would either be Puja or Ankita, whose performances were not good in the last Gala. But then you can’t do anything about destiny.

Who do you think will be among the top three?

Amit will definitely be there till the end. He will most probably become the Indian Idol. The other two people who will be in the Top 3 will be Emon and Chang.

Will you miss Meiyang Chang?

Chang is a dear friend. There was nothing between us. The media created it all. It’s always interesting to have some kind of romantic story in a competition like this. People like talking about those who are in the limelight. I request you to please let the rest of the contestants perform in peace. Don’t bother them with such rumours.

Who is responsible for you going out—the janta or the judges?

I have no grudges against anyone. No one is responsible for this. This was my destiny. My fans have been with me throughout. They’ve been voting for me right from the beginning. I guess in the end they didn’t know how many votes were needed. I thank them wholeheartedly.

What are your plans for the future? Do you still want to be an RJ?

Definitely. I am planning to shift to Mumbai soon and study Mass Communication. I want to the join media. I want to pursue a career in music, too, and want to work real hard for it. This is not the end for me, this is just a beginning.

You are a celebrity today. Who would you thank for this achievement?

I would just like to thank my mother and father for everything that I’ve achieved today. They pushed me for the Indian Idol auditions. And then there was no looking back.

What is the reaction of your parents?

I haven’t met my parents yet. I know they’re heartbroken because they wanted to see me as the Indian Idol.

Any regrets? Do you think you should have worked harder?

No matter how much we work, it is never enough. I definitely think that I could have done better. And, from now on, I will make sure that I give my best in everything I do.

Any message for your fans?

I just want to thank everybody who voted for me. I am overwhelmed by their love and support. I am grateful to them that they gave me this platform to sing. I have made my mark in the hearts of the people, now I have to take it forward.

Oops!! What A Shock !! Deepali Is Eliminated

2007-08-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Deepali who started the show yesterday with such a superb performance was out of the Indian Idol this time. Just can't believe it. She is only contestant who was praised by all the judges in the last gala. I'm shocked to see the behaviour of the people. I think they doesn't have eyes for picking out great talent. They are just voting for the contestant they like. People are giving more priority to their region than talent. Though we all know we have to get rid of at least one of the contestants every week, it was still very sad to loose one of these precious diamond who really deserves to get her dreams come true. Success is not only being an Indian Idol but it is to win the heart of so many admirers around the world whose hearts were flooding with tears again while watching the show and I am also one of them.

Gala Performance

2007-08-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today was the Independence special episode. All the contestants sang deshbhakti song. All of them said they will give their best for the improvement of street kids,poverty and abolition of child labour. As far as their performance is concerned they were mediocre. Deepali started the gala with Dhol Bajne Laga from Virasat and it was awsome. Emon was also faboulous. Only these two participants was praised by all the judges. Others were also good but they were not at their very best. Judges also praised them but there were as usual contradiction. Ankita who is Javed Akhtar'r all time favorite ... disappointed Javedji this time. Anuji told Prashant that he has given the best performance of this gala while Javedji disagreed with him. Even Chang could not impress the judges this time. He was a bit off-key according to the judges. Javedji said he has got the potential to sing better than this...Javed Akhtar said probably Chang's song selection was not that perfect.
These gala featured Anil Kapoor as the celebrity judge. Ajay Jadeja,the famous cricketer also came in this gala to motivate the spirit of the participants.
Tomorrow is the result episode..one of the contestant will again leave the stage ---again a very sad moment on the Indian Idol. So start voting your favorite contestant if you haven't start yet. Letz see who is eliminated this time... a guy or a girl.

Watch Indian Idol Contestants In ABhishek's Elimination Round

2007-08-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

The king of Drama Abhishek Kumar is out of Indian Idol

Anu lends Abhishek a shoulder to cry on

Prashant has no words to console Abhishek

Emon consoles Puja as Abhishek says goodbye to Deepali

Emon cannot bear the pain of losing two friends so quickly

Don performing for the last time in stage