Indian Idol recap: Episode 23

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!

Bhavya stands to win the biggest show on Earth!

I want to transform the Idols: Mickey Mehta

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.

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All about Ananya

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

Contestants to bring down the house as live gig kicks in

Shafqat Amanat Ali

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.