Watch Out The Interview Of Dhanbad Ke Dynamite -- Puja Chatterjee

“Designer dresses and latke jhatke are secondary”

Puja Chatterjee, one of the most talented singers on Indian Idol started singing at the tender age of four. A student of the singer Ajay Chakraborty from Kolkata, her control over her voice and rhythm is outstanding. She won many local and national talent hunt competitions till date. Though she stays in a boarding school at Indore, where there is no TV, her parents heard about Indian Idol and enrolled her for the auditions. Since then there has been no looking back for this powerhouse of talent.

What are your chances of winning the title among the other contestants?

I have been learning music since I was four. As a result, I can say I am the senior among the other contestants. [Laughs]. Here, most of the singers have either just started learning or have been training for the last six months or a year.
Of course, it doesn’t mean I’m the best. But I am more experienced and I concentrate more on my singing. My expression of a song is the best among others and I hope the audiences are noticing the difference. Honestly, I do believe I should become the next Indian Idol.

How important do you think good looks and on-stage presentation are?

I don’t pay much attention to my presentation on stage. For me perfection of singing and holding the right tune and rhythm is the single most important thing. I believe that one should understand the lyrics of the song and sing it with feeling; performance will shape up automatically. Dancing doesn’t work when you’re off key. I just pay attention to my expressions and my overall performance is enhanced by it.

What is your ambition? Who do you idolise when it comes to singing?

I wish to become a versatile playback singer and work with all the music directors in the industry. I don’t want to take a single name like A R Rahman or Anuji… my ambition is to work with everyone. They all have different styles of presenting their music.
I idolise Lataji, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle.

Your performance in the first Gala was a let down. Were you very upset?

It happens. No singer can perform without faltering. If you remember, Javedji said that Sachin can’t make a century in every innings. Sometimes he gets out for zero, too. I scored a zero in the first Gala, but the next one will be a century for sure. And I’ll make sure I keep on hitting centuries.

In case you don’t make it to the Top 5, will you go back to Dhanbad?

In case my journey ends here, it won’t be the end of the world. This is not my only aim—I want to be a playback singer. I’ll definitely come back to Mumbai. I am sure many music directors are watching the show and have noticed my talent. Indian Idol has given me the platform I wanted. Now I’ve to leap higher. I will approach the music directors, knock on their doors. I’ll struggle like other singers.