The Indian Idol 3 marathon grinds on as contestants decrease rapidly. Thursday night, it was the girls turn to face eliminations, and what an elimination it was!
The show began with host Mini Mathur asking the judges, Javed Akhtar, Alisha Chinai, and Udit Narayan who they thought should be out. Here is who they picked:
Javedsaab: Richa, Shifa, Vartika
Alisha: Vartika, Shifa, and Smita
Uditji: Vartika, Richa, and Harshida
Then came another video clip of judge Anu Malik who is recovering at home after being hospitalized. I look forward to this clip every day. I never thought I would say this but the show isn’t the same without Anu Malik.
He started with Harshida Madhaparia and gave her good praise, telling her that she was not going to be eliminated and will be there for a long time. Really Anuji? He moved on to Shifa Ansari and disagreed with the other judges about her singing. They had criticized her but Anu Malik told her that he got lost in her singing.
He told Vartika Shukla that as the competition is getting hotter, she is getting colder. She was missing the love and romance from the song that she sang. As the song went on, she began to get more and more off-key.
Anu then moved on to Richa Aneja. He told her that she has a lovely voice but is still too raw at places. Her age reflects in her voice, and that should not be so.
And as far as the bottom three goes, he named Smita Adhikari, Richa and Vartika.
The girls again give their opinions as to who they thought should be out. Same thing, different day. Everyone gave pretty straightforward answers without the drama going overboard and the diplomacy being fake. Many of the girls picked Ankita Mishra again, but Ankita’s response to that was: Let’s see what the public has voted.
Yes. Let’s.
Richa was immediately declared safe.
Then Mini divided the eight remaining girls into two groups – one on her right side and one on her left side. On her right (audience’s left) were Ankita, Puja Chatterjee, Deepali, and Charu Semwal. On her left (our right) were Vartika, Harshida, Smita, and Shifa. To cut a long story short, the girls on Mini’s left were in the bottom four.
Then Mini asked the judges if they had the chance to save someone, who they would save. Javedsaab said Smita; Alisha said Harshida; and Uditji said Shifa.
Then Mini went to Smita and asked her why she was in the bottom four. Smita very simply said that it’s because she doesn’t have the looks. She said that she began this competition thinking that if she had the talent, then people might overlook that she’s not pretty. However, now she realizes that that isn’t true. She even reminded us that during auditions, Anu Malik told her she had a really depressing personality.
Okay, here I have to say that no girl should have to go on national television and talk like that about herself. This girl probably has enough problems as it is. For her to make the statement that she’s not good looking, and to do so this matter-of-factly, is disturbing to me. Wasn’t anyone else upset about this? I think that Smita has every reason to think that she is beautiful. She should not have to accept anything less from anyone, even herself. And she’s better looking than she thinks she is. And she needs to be told that often. Anyways, sorry about this tangent, but I thought it was important to get out there.
Javedsaab chimed in and gave credence to what Smita was saying. But while doing so, he reiterated the fact that she is not good looking. He said that people are more interested in the way a person is dressed rather than how talented they are. If the audience can’t recognize and give respect to such a good singer, then we should just take models and make them sing.
Alisha agreed that Smita is a good singer but said that her singing hasn’t been so excellent that we can compensate. To an extent Alisha is right. If you’re going to fight the battle, you have to make sure it’s worth fighting. Had Smita been flawless in yesterday’s piano round and still ended up in the bottom, then we would know. However, it is true that she didn’t sing that well yesterday. So we really have no way of knowing whether she received fewer votes because of looks or her singing.
Uditji said that if a person is talented enough, then everything else is secondary. And finally, we found out that Smita was safe.
And we had yet another shocking, heartbreaking elimination on Indian Idol 3: Shifa. I CANNOT believe she is going home. This girl was the complete package. But I will say that all three girls who were eliminated were such good sports about it. They made this elimination less sad than it could have been.
Harshida said that she wasn’t going anywhere. She is going to stay in Mumbai to do more vocal training. And that we’ll see her soon on our TV screens. Vartika said that she was prepared because she had not performed well in the last two piano rounds. She accepted the audience’s decision.
Then Shifa said a lovely thing. She reminded us of her earlier comment that the people of India do recognize sur and that they made the right choice by picking Smita.
And with that, Shifa, Harshida, and Vartika left the show. Then came the boys’ performances. More on that later so stay tuned!
Alisha agreed that Smita is a good singer but said that her singing hasn’t been so excellent that we can compensate. To an extent Alisha is right. If you’re going to fight the battle, you have to make sure it’s worth fighting. Had Smita been flawless in yesterday’s piano round and still ended up in the bottom, then we would know. However, it is true that she didn’t sing that well yesterday. So we really have no way of knowing whether she received fewer votes because of looks or her singing.
Deepa i remember Smita still being in the bottom 4 after she gave a good performance if u remember.....When one tends to be in the bottom 4 after all the judges confirm that u were the best i think such reactions tend to happen......
Deepa said
And we had yet another shocking, heartbreaking elimination on Indian Idol 3: Shifa. I CANNOT believe she is going home.
I respectfully doesnt agree with that....I found her last performance to be quite dull actually.....
I think Smita is either suffering from persecution complex or is cleverly trying to gain sympathy, trying to convert her 'adversity' to her strength.
She did not sing well in the last round. And yes, she is not conventionally beautiful. And she is herself to blame for that, atleast partially. She is so young and grossly over-weight. It is solely in her hands to keep her weight in check (Look at Adnan Sami) and achieve a good figure. Beauty has to be in her body language. Many 'heart-throb' heroes and heroines actually have so ordinary faces, but a good physique and right attitude.
ah Harshida is out :(
i was hoping she would stay in longer, she has some good style.
I'm dissapointed that ankita is still in, she is getting boring.
Richa, i hope she blows the audience away
Ankita in??!! I would have given any of the others who were eliminated...they all SANG something, even Vartika, which is what Ankita forgets to do; or maybe she cannot do??
I never thought Chang would get nervous but today he seemed so...recover your tranquility.
I also the greater age of the boys is showing through at this age of the competition: they are much more self-reliant.
Guest said: cleverly trying to gain sympathy, trying to convert her 'adversity' to her strength.
Well that was unfair ma'am.....She did not sing well? As javed akhtar pointed out, it was in comparison with her previous standard itself. And as for she pretending....when someone does tell her she has a depressing personality, it can shatter you......And when she did sing well she was in bottom four, she was still in bottom four......
One thing that has really been bugging me in the coverage of this Indian Idol everywhere, starting from Anu Malik.
Why does everyone call Chang Chinese? I think after four generations in this country, they would have earned the right to be called Indian!! Does he have Chinese nationality? I wouldn't think so... Speaks our matra bhasha better than a large quantity of people I know. When we Indians go abroad, we want to be considered a part of the country, get their citizenship, and if out kids are born there, we would be more than angry if they were singled out always as Indians as opposed to, lets say, Americans or whatever.
Or to even out things, Prashant should always be called Assamese, Smita Bengali, Richa Punjabi, and maybe even Parleen as Jat!!!
Guest said: I think Smita is either suffering from persecution complex or is cleverly trying to gain sympathy, trying to convert her 'adversity' to her strength.
She did not sing well in the last round. And yes, she is not conventionally beautiful. And she is herself to blame for that, atleast partially. She is so young and grossly over-weight. It is solely in her hands to keep her weight in check (Look at Adnan Sami) and achieve a good figure. Beauty has to be in her body language. Many 'heart-throb' heroes and heroines actually have so ordinary faces, but a good physique and right attitude.
I am sorry, WHAT?
I think on Reality Television – What Smita said was the most honest declaration!
Smita knows she does not have the conventional looks and we have all witnessed what Annu had said to her and what Alisha had kept on repeating thereafter! Smita talked about her looks when she was asked why she was in Bottom Four after receiving a Standing O from the judges! So this was an honest reply, because for all she knew, she was heading home! Sympathy would be if she would have made such statements before of after she performed, not on the day she was almost headed home!
I am sorry, but I disagree with the notion that she did not sing well! Yes, she did mess up a little, but the fact is the song is so difficult that under such intense pressure, there is always a risk that some of the notes might go flat or the finishing might be compromised and that’s exactly what happened! Please listen to the critiques by the judges and you might realize that they judged her by her own benchmark! The truth is Smita is one of the best singers in the competition.
Now, I want to address something I found extremely offending! I am shocked that you are you calling Smita grossly over-weight! She is NOT over-weight! Sure, she is not a stick figure model, but if that is what is considered fit, I am seriously concerned! In my view, Smita has a normal body, not thin, not fat! Her problem is that she has a very bad skin! And though that can be taken care of by consulting a dermatologist, many seem to forgot that Smita does not hail from a rich family!
You are comparing her with obese Adnan? She is nowhere near what Adnan was! Adnan had to get in shape, not because he had to look good, he had to get in shape, because he risked heart problems! And do we really know how he lost the weight so quickly? Because he’s not willing to talk about it! Besides, even if what you assume is true, that is not the criteria to judge the beauty of a singer by! By that notion, you would say that Lady Aretha Franklin is ugly because she is over-weight! Please!
Jesus! Could you be more insensitive!? I am sorry, I have never been so irked by a response, but what you said is wrong on so many counts!
Seriously, I am glad that there were no such shows when Lata Mangeshkar started her career, or else she would have faced this kind of discrimination and India would have lost a great singer!
The Core Of Man's Spirit Comes From New Experiences!
I hear ya! But to be fair, I have not called him Chinese ever! Neither has Deepa as far as I remember! But yes, we have noted his Chinese Lineage, but that was because we were told about it in the show!
Guest said:Or to even out things, Prashant should always be called Assamese, Smita Bengali, Richa Punjabi, and maybe even Parleen as Jat!!!
Just for the record –
Prashant is not Assamese, he is actually Indian Nepalese! And Parleen is not a Jat, he is actually a Sikh!
The Core Of Man's Spirit Comes From New Experiences!
Sprout said: I hear ya! But to be fair, I have not called him Chinese ever! Neither has Deepa as far as I remember! But yes, we have noted his Chinese Lineage, but that was because we were told about it in the show!
Prashant is not Assamese, he is actually Indian Nepalese! And Parleen is not a Jat, he is actually a Sikh!
I for one will call chang a chinese cause he is one....But that only raises his value...Being a chinese speaking Hindi fluently and that too much more fluently than some Indians i know (Me included) and singing hindi songs with emotion really makes him a top contender....Add to that his personality and simplicity.....On top of that his looks ( I am straight :-) )What else do u need?
Guest said: Why does everyone call Chang Chinese? I think after four generations in this country, they would have earned the right to be called Indian!! Does he have Chinese nationality? I wouldn't think so... Speaks our matra bhasha better than a large quantity of people I know. When we Indians go abroad, we want to be considered a part of the country, get their citizenship, and if out kids are born there, we would be more than angry if they were singled out always as Indians as opposed to, lets say, Americans or whatever.
That's a valid point. Let's take America for example, because I live here. Even though I was born in India, I've lived here most of my life. So when people ask me where I'm from, I'll give the name of the my hometown or state. But then they say, no, where are you really from?
The same thing is happening to Chang. He's Indian, but people still call him Chinese because of his outward appearance. And I think that's a shame.
Guest said: She did not sing well in the last round. And yes, she is not conventionally beautiful. And she is herself to blame for that, atleast partially. She is so young and grossly over-weight. It is solely in her hands to keep her weight in check (Look at Adnan Sami) and achieve a good figure. Beauty has to be in her body language. Many 'heart-throb' heroes and heroines actually have so ordinary faces, but a good physique and right attitude.
Um, I'm glad Sprout took this one up because he if hadn't, I sure would have. You're out of line and you're wrong. This was a very insensitive comment to make, and I'm also offended by it. Sprout laid out the reasons, so I won't do it again. But really, how can you be so insensitive?
I think Sony did a great disservie to the contenstants by rushing through these eliminations. Most of these contestants are very young and the schedule is very very difficult. You give a performance, the next day you get through the elimination process, you have a day to prepare your new song and sing it. This is showing up in their singing. Most of these people are very talented but singing for your life every other day is very tough. I think that Sony did this for the ratings/Voting to get a head start. The other shows are still in the phase of finding their final list of participants and Sony wanted to get a head start. This might work out good for Sony but it is taking a toll on the participants.
I completely disagree with Alisha's comments that people do not vote based on looks. They do vote, best example is Suhit. Howelese can you explain him staying for this long? I thought Smita was very honest in expressing her feeling. In this world of political correctness, it might not be the right thing to say, but I would feel the same if I am in her position. When someone says on your face that you have a depressing personality, it is very tough to handle that. I would not have went infront of that person again in my life.
I don't think we called Chang Chinese over here. Sprout whether we were told or not told that he is a chinese, you can figure that out by the way he looks. According to me he is a Chinese Indian and he should be proud of it. I will think that he is chinese if I don't know that he is fourth generation Indian, based on his looks. We all over here know that he is an INDIAN and some people will never get it no matter how many times you say it.
Sprout and Deepa, you are doing an excellent job covering this Marathon. It is getting very difficult for me to catchup (just reading), and I am sure it is very very tough for you to cover this on a day to day basis. Hats off to both of you for such nice reviews.
I completely agree with Smita's declaration. Right from the start we viewers were aware that if Smita would be kicked out of this contest then her "looks" and her "personality" (which is technically again the look factor, hello pls. see Suhit) that will get her eliminated. She is extremely talented. I agree that her last performance received criticism, but it was no less than Puja's or Deepali's for that matter. She did not perform par excellence compared to her Zubie Zubie number. But hello, she can't keep getting standing ovations on every number. I think it was just her bad luck that she gave her best early on. Also, because of her looks even a slight criticism can turn into an elimination, a factor that gets compromised if you are considered "cute"--i.e. SUHIT, EMON, PUJA, PARLEEN, BHAVIN, and MEIYUNG.
Thank you so much for your input. I am looking forward to read. I don't know where are you from but I don't get to see the episode 12 hours after India.
I don't know is it me or everybody out there thinks that for some reason this year's girs contestant are not as strong as last years also guys are not trained singers. I think Bhavin, Emon, Prashant, Chang and one more whoes name I forgot are good.
Yesterday's episode, Alisha look so bad. I wonder who dressed her up, she looked like white big bird.
I think richa should have also been out in this round i think harshida didn't deserve to go. Smita didn't deserve to be in the bottom four richa sang worse than smita. This contest is about singing not looks.
harshida did not deserve to go....her last performance was one of the best out of the girls..based on singing talents...the judges obviously saw richa as being weaker than her and so i think richa should have gone.
To be quite honest i dont understand why richa and shifa got this far..they are both still so young and this is apparent in their voices...the ultimate goal of indian idol is to offer a career and people like richa and shifa dont seem ready to start a career when their voices arent mature...and also it just seems so inappropiate when young girls like this with innocent voices attempt to sing love or sexy songs...just seems wrong.
So many talented people have got voted out...the programme is becoming a joke and in my opinion losing credibility.
Deepali and Emon are far the best singers in the competition. They've been in my top 2 every single time. They might not have blown away the audiences every night but they have not had ONE bad performance between them.
I don't know why there's so much sympathy for Smita from the judges. Agreed she's a decent singer but nothing like how the judges describing.
My final 7 are Deepali, Emon, Chang, Prashant, Bhavin, Amit and Pooja (maybe Abhishek after his last performance)
Smita needs to go! Enough of the 'living my father's dream' and 'i'm singled out because of my looks.' She just does not measure up against he likes of Emon, Chang, Deepali, Puja...
Richa, Suhit and Smita WILL be eliminated in the next round. God, I'm so tired of that duplicitous Richa.
God why are people still voting for the brat Richa is beyond my apprehension........ she needs to go home ........she is a clever manipulator who pretends to be a child
