Indian Idol 3 - 7 Contestants Perform As Wild Cards!
Sprout
2007-06-15 18:48:00
After choosing Top 28 Contestants for the Piano Round (or as I prefer to call it, the Performance Round Semi-Finals) the home audience chose the Top 10 Contestants for the Finals! Jolly Das, who had to leave the competition last year, joined the Top 10 making it a Top 11! Then the judges revealed the new twist and informed us that they would choose 6 Contestants from the eliminated 18 and the audience would vote and choose two more contestants and then the Top 13 would fight it out in the Gala Round! So that was the story til last week! Tonight, as promised the Top 6 eliminated Contestants took the stage, but again there was a twist, but we’ll get to that in a moment…
Meanwhile,
This Is Wild Card Episode of Indian Idol 3!
Ok, let’s be really honest here, though many were excited about the Wild Card Round, many were dreading it too and for good reason – this might be the best group of finalists in history of Indian Idol and the thought of inclusion of just one name was enough to make people groan and others rejoice at the very same time! I belong to the group of groaners, but knowing how Reality Television works, I knew that there was no escaping this part as soon as the Wild Card episode was announced! So let’s see if I had to groan, shall we? By the way, close your eyes and ask yourself, if I had to groan or not! Quick! There you go…
Right, so the show started with Cutie Hussain’s Voice Over and he basically said what I have said in the first paragraph. They showed the eliminated contestants in a tense mood and giving sound-bites! The decision, however, was in the judges’ hands! Shall we reacquaint with them?
The best judge in history of Reality Television – Javed Akhtar Saab!
The emotional singer and good man – Udit Narayan!
The most hated judge in the shortest amount of time – Alisha Chinai!
The thankfully missing blabbermouth – Annu Malek!
So these four were deep in discussion about who deserves the shot, thankfully, there was very little drama and most of what they discussed was not revealed! I can guess what the sore points were, but what’s the point? Although, I did catch them state that Bhavin Dhanak and Shantanu Sudame could not capture an audience, while a certain someone did! So said Her Deafness Princess Alisha and Mr Malek!
Finally, Javed Saab, Udit and Alisha arrived at the studio and took their seats! Mini Mathur took over the responsibilities as the coolest host and hence started the proceedings!
The eliminated 18 were divided in three groups of six and we were informed that the judges would choose 2 Contestants from each group!
From the first group, Aisha Sayed and Padmanav Bordoloi were chosen! What? Padmanav was chosen? Well, that was the first question that came to my mind! Needless to say, I was very puzzled by Padmanav’s entry! But what did I know?
From the second group, Bhavin Dhanak was chosen, well, that was the popular choice of many and I think many hearts would break all-over again if he is eliminated tomorrow, but let’s hope for the best! And of course, the judges chose Suhit Gosain! So apparently, Shifa Ansari or Harshida Madhaparia did not have any talent or style!
I wouldn't have groaned if Alisha had not said that she already missed her boy-toy (Suhit) and hence wanted him back! You know, considering that Britney Spears took over Madonna’s title as Pop-tart and the fact that no one has yet taking over Alisha’s place as the Indian Pop-tart yet, all this fawning is making me wonder… Doesn’t one foresee that in the future one might hear Alisha singing a duet with Suhit? I mean didn’t we all read the rumour that Britney wanted to work with Sanjaya Malakar? Suhit and Alisha’s duet would be one of the greatest wonders in Indian Pop Music! Can’t you just feel the love? I mean Mr Annu Malek would compose the tracks and it will be a very happy ending! Come on, don’t y’all think this is a great idea? I thought as much! Are you listening, Alisha, Suhit, Annu?
So the thing most dreaded came to pass… so be it! The show must go on…
From the third group, surprisingly Shantanu Sudame was selected and so was Amit Paul! Now, that’s what I call great choices! So Roshan Singh, whom I still maintain is a great candidate for Bollywood, and Ankita Mishra were going home empty handed!
But wait, Javed Saab said that the judges deliberated to such an extreme that they could not settle for six contestants and had to add one more – Ah ha! The twist! Taking the seventh spot was Ankita Mishra! After her sporting attitude last week, I thought she deserved that spot more than anyone else!
So out of 18 hopefuls, only 7 took to the stage to give their best and earn a position in the Top 13!
First one to take the stage was Aisha Sayed from Mumbai –
Aisha’s departure was the first blow felt by the results! Aisha has a beautifully rich voice with great bass and hence she stood apart from the rest of the gals! Aisha deserved to get back in the game and it was pleasing to note that she did!
Aisha decided to sing “Sajana Ve Sajana” – the truth is I am not a big fan of this song, but the gal came, killed and conquered! I had heard of "Killing Me Softly With His Song", this was first time that I was killed in an instant by a song and loved every minute of it! It was a mind-blowing performance. I hadn’t noticed before but the gal lives each word of the lyrics! Her attitude, her stage presence and her expressions are superb! Aisha was totally engrossed in her performance and her Harkats, her Bol-Alaps, etc were top-notch! In short, she gave a flawless performance! Obviously, she received a huge applause for her brilliance!
Mini noted that Aisha received a deafening applause and that many were actively whistling for her (that’s supposed to be a good thing) and added that it was a great comeback performance!
Alisha agreed with Mini that Aisha did get a deafening applause and stated that the judges couldn’t bear to lose someone like Aisha! Udit said she did a great job! Javed Saab said that Aisha sang with all the right ingredients needed for a great performance!
Next in line was Shantanu Sudame from Gwalior,
When Shantanu was eliminated, it was a great disappointment as Suhit had dodged a bullet! To be frank, Shantanu showed great potential during the audition but he failed to live up to expectations during the Piano Rounds as none of his performances were outstanding! Did Shantanu deserve a second chance? Yes!
Shantanu sang “Bheege Hooth Tere” – Oy! Of all the songs he could have sung, he sang this?! I hate the song! Now, I am in dilemma because as much I like Shantanu, I have to be honest that this was not one of my favourite performances! First and foremost, Shantanu messed up more than once! He went off tempo, which was really surprising! It was true though that Shantanu tried really hard to connect with the song. Secondly, he used loads of vocal gimmicks and exercises to showcase his range - he even sang in high pitch (falsetto)! To be truthful, at one point he was bordering on shrieking! I haven’t heard the song ever in totality, so someone has to help me, did he adlib the runs in the “Woah, Woah, Woah” part? It seemed like he was improvising! I really think he could have chosen a better song, but then I might be in minority here! I would be very surprised if he manages to make it to the Top 13!
Mini thought that he did an outstanding job and hence should have a huge smile on his face! Her Deafness was on her feet and said that the performance was tremendous and she loved the way Shantanu sang and the fact that he had such a great voice! Mini said that, as a lay person, the runs Shantanu applied proved that his singing was at a very high level! Udit said he agreed with Mini! Javed Saab said that he always thought that Shantanu’s voice was more suited for soft numbers, but Shantanu sang in totally different style with competency!
Ok, hold up! I know not many are into Indian Classical Music, but this performance reminded me of a story! Once a young singer was singing Raga Pooriya and Kirana Gharana Maestro Ustad Abdul Karim Khansaheb was in the audience. The singer used lot of ornamentations like Taans, etc in excess. So Khansaheb stopped him and said that “You are singing Pooriya, but you have not yet created the soul of the Raga! You keep on showering petals of flowers on a statue that you have not been able to create yet!” In other words, the singer used gimmicks more than substance and that’s exactly what I felt about Shantanu’s performance! I am nowhere near Khansaheb, so don’t even think I am daring to compare myself with him!
Next came Amit Paul from Shillong,
To say Amit is a good singer would be an understatement! He has a unique voice and I have always liked his performances. Unfortunately, he was not given any "pimpage" by the producers and hence his elimination was rather expected, even though it was uncalled for! I am really happy that he was given another shot because he deserved it!
Amit tackled Pancham Da’s Classic, “Dil Lena Khel Hai” – this is an extremely difficult song to sing as one has to have the grit and passion to make the song sound believable! Some singers are so unique that when others try to sing their songs, they are taking a huge risk! R D Burman is one such singer and so it was a risky move on Amit’s part to sing this song! But, man, he did a great job! The great part was he did not imitate Pancham Da; he sang with his own voice and kept the essence of song intact!
Mini loved it! Javed Saab said that he is such a huge fan of Amit’s voice that if he had the ability to vote on behalf of the entire nation, Amit wouldn’t have left the competition! Alisha said that Amit did a good job and had not let the judges down (and one must note that Alisha does not like Amit too much)! Udit thought that Amit gave a brilliant performance!
Mini then introduced a clip of other male contestants imitating Amit in his various moods and it was a very cute clip and Prashant acting as Amit was outstanding!
Well, well, well! Look who made it to the Wild Card Episode, introducing the Rock Star – Suhit Gosain from Gurgaon!
So one thought that the nightmare was over last week, yeah right! Suhit got the boot last week and it was obvious that he’d be back this week! Did he deserve a second chance? Do I need to answer that?
So anyway, Suhit sang “Mujhe Pehchaan Lo” – Surprisingly, this was probably his best performance so far in the competition, but that does not mean it was good! He started a little rough but managed to stay in tempo – well almost! According to me, the song was a weird choice because he had to hum a lot! I would say that it was a safe choice, but then people would say it takes eons of practice for one to hum in tune! Oh, I know! It’s funny though how Suhit is a great screamer, a great hummer, but not a great singer! Anyway, I had expected worse from him and thankfully he wasn’t as bad as “Sayonee”!
So not even Mini had anything nice to say about Suhit, but Alisha sure did! I mean this was her boy-toy! She said that if only the audience really could know him! Your Deafness, they know him enough to know that he did not deserve this second chance! Alisha said that Suhit rocked any which way! Pray tell, what does that mean? Udit said "I had told Suhit that doors of opportunity would open for him and Suhit got a second chance!" How is this criticism? I am still not sure!
What happened next might be construed as possibly the best moment in history of Indian Television! Javed Saab said that he respected supporters of Suhit and he wished him the best! Mini countered by telling Javed Saab that he had sidestepped criticism with ease! So Javed Saab said that he would not lie, he did not want Suhit back on the show but it was Alisha and Annu’s wish that he return! Alisha said that even Udit thought that Suhit had the magic! Javed Saab said that no matter what attitude Suhit had or the style, the important thing was how Suhit sang! Here’s where it got interesting – the audience applauded Javed Saab! Javed Saab was on fire, he continued on the point that Suhit could not sing well and the rest should be called fringe benefits! Then he said that if in a car there were excellent seats, air-conditioning, a DVD player, and a television but that the car did not run, it was not longer a car, it was something else! And the applause got louder! Alisha asked Javed Saab to be cool. I thought Alisha was embarrassed to bits!
Oh I hope Suhit makes it to Top 13, I cannot wait for Javed Saab to shred him to pieces or at least reduce him to tears! Go nuts, Suhit Fans – Vote For Him! I love every moment of his humiliation!
I know I am a BIG B.I.T.C.H!
Next up was Padmanav Bordoloi from Guwahati,
Ok, as I said earlier, I was puzzled by his inclusion as Padmanav was never a top-notch candidate. He gave mediocre performances and that was that! His exit was neither shocking nor unexpected! It is my belief that Padmanav gained entry thanks to his joyful and child-like demeanour! I did not think that Padmanav deserved a second chance, but boy was I wrong!
Padmanav decided to perform, “Tumse Maan Ki Lagan” – WOW! For once I am speechless! It was one of the best performances of the night according to me! He sang with all his heart! He sang with great control and right emotions! This was the first shocking performance of the night! I loved it! However, the right thing to do as voters would be to take into account all of the past performances and then vote! If this rule is observed then Padmanav is in trouble!
Mini, like me, was in shock and bowed to Padmanav like “I’m not worthy!” and added she did not know who the Padmanav standing next to her was! Alisha said that everyone was bringing in their A game as they know this is a do-or-die situation! You think? What am I asking? Of course you don't! Alisha said that Padmanav did a great job! Javed Saab said that Padmanav sang brilliantly with all his heart, and Padmanav was in tears! Udit said that he thought that Padmanav would sing well, but he sang very well!
Next, the Gals’ favourite, Bhavin Dhanak from Mumbai took to the stage,
Bhavin’s exit devastated many gals and broke many hearts, including the hearts of our beautiful gal members – well not all of them, but the ones who know Bhavin! Bhavin’s exit was a big shock and after Aisha, I think he was the one who managed to shock the most with his exit! So did he deserve a second chance! Say it with me, “Hell, Yeah!” Look Mommy! I said, “Hell”!
Bhavin took on, “Soniye” –
Now, before I move on… I have mention that when it comes to song titles and the films they are from, no one and I mean no one knows it better than our esteemed Shree! How she does that is a wonder and I would ask the Indian Idol fans to check out her excellent recaps of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, even if they are not actively watching the show!
Ok, getting back to Bhavin – This boy can sing! This might be the last thing one wants to hear, but he did mess up a tiny bit. One has to really listen to the song to know where he messed up, though! Other than that, Bhavin was great, his voice quality is really soothing and he has a good control! The applause after his performance was as deafening as it was after Aisha’s performance! He deserves to be in Top 13 based on all his performances and hopefully, the viewers would vote for him!
Mini said that the judges had told him before he was ousted that he had given his best performance and she hoped that the judges would say that this was his best yet! Alisha said that Bhavin was a winner and he had everything it takes to be an Indian Idol! Udit said that when he listened to Bhavin he thought he was listening to a seasoned professional! Javed Saab said that though Bhavin is a great singer with great voice, he had to be truthful that he felt that the lower notes were off-key! He asked Bhavin if what he felt was true. Bhavin admitted that he did mess up a bit, but Udit intervened on his behalf and blamed the nerves and said despite that Bhavin did a great job!
Ok, here’s the thing – I am a little glad that Bhavin got negative critique because that is unfortunately the motivator for the viewers. However, on the other hand, this year the voting has been surprisingly sensible and if they are voting on the basis of last performances than Bhavin is in huge trouble! Although it wasn’t bad on all counts, this performance was just not as good as Bhavin’s own standard!
Last up, the irritating yet very sporting gal from Kanpur, Ankita Mishra took the stage!
One thing Ankita has that no one has is the fact that she is the best performer of the lot! She commands the stage and she knows how to enact the mood and feel of the song! Ankita’s downfall wasn’t due to her performance skills; she was eliminated because she sang songs from the same genre thus creating the notion that she was not versatile! If of all eliminations I have felt sad about, the saddest I have been has to be the elimination of Ankita. This is not because I was her huge fan, on the contrary, I always thought that she was a bit irritating. I felt sad because she showed what a wonderful sport she was after it was too late! Did she deserve this chance? Yes, Yes and Yes!
Ok, this was the second most shocking performance, Ankita chose to sing a Bhajan, “Tu Vishaal Hai” – Honestly, I have never heard this Bhajan before. Is it from any film? I "Googled" the title and got zilch! So I gather it is a private composition! In that case, she took a monumental risk! Not only did she move away from her previous genre to an extreme degree, she did it with an unknown devotional number! It was a very controlled performance, but can I be honest? It was too much like a music class performance - good, but yet it sounds amateurish! If Ankita wanted to go for a devotional number, she should have sung any of the film devotional numbers like, “Aye Malik Tere Bande Hum”, “Allah Tero Naam” or even “Itni Shakti Humme Dena Datta”! I am afraid that the choice of song will again be Ankita’s downfall!
Mini is funny – Mini wondered how Ankit, who was Ankita, turned into Ankiteshwari? (Ankiteshwari – nice name, one should name one’s child that! But then I know how my friend, ‘Chamundeshwari’ feels about her name! I kid you not – that’s her name!) Alisha said that Ankita was so keen in leaving her mark that she managed to shock everyone with her song choice and that she sang the song with perfection! Javed Saab said that many years ago, he had written a movie called “Seeta Aur Geeta” (I didn’t know that – did anyone?) and the transformation of Ankita reminded him of that movie. Ok, I have to explain, the movie was about identical twins gals separated at birth, one grows up naughty (Geeta) and other grows up docile (Seeta) – it’s a fun movie! Anyway, so Javed Saab said that Geeta has disappeared and Seeta has taken the stage! Javed Saab said that Ankita sang really well and with great devotion, which is essential how to sing a Bhajan! Udit said that Ankita proved that she worked hard and she would go really far! Javed Saab interrupted and said that he wishes that Ankita should not go far from them and should remain in the competition! Aw! Javed Saab can be real sweet!
Anyway, so after a recap of all the performances – the show ended with words of wisdom from Hussain and Mini about the voting! Yeah, I was so listening to that!
So who do I think will enter Top 13?
Well, ideally Bhavin and Aisha deserve to be there! However, Amit and Padmanav did a great job as well! Ankita took a huge risk! Shantanu over sang and hurt his chances! Suhit might get one spot, because his fans will vote til their fingers bleed!
it is a fact! suhit is not as good as the other contestants. i can only pray he gets eliminated, i can't bear to watch him any more. he is crapping up the indian idol show for sure!
I think the wild card enteries should be Ankita and either Padmanav or Suhit. Javedji, the judge, was too harsh in his comments yesterday and his dismissal of Suhit was quite unbecoming of him. Normally he across as an assured person but it was not the case yesterday. His comments that junta make wrong decisions were just in a huff and not really well calculated. On one previous occasion, he told alisha and udit that he respected their decision on Prashanth but junta was intelligent and sensible enough and he had confidence in them to save Prashanth.
Suhit does get voted again and again and junta should decide whom they want!!!
Indians!!! oye janta please yaar stop being stupid...Suhit over bhavin/aisha...god sake dont embarass yourselves...If ankita and padmanav dont get over suhit it is a disgust for India!
Junta is unfortunately, not at all happy about Suhit. So, who exactly is voting for him...the same crazy girls who are more interested in his physical appearance than anything else. I am sorry, a minority girls who repeatedly waste cell phone money don't represent teh mindset of the Indian Junta! I hope Suhit leaves....good lord, can't take this man anymore.
I whould say that the public have done a blunder by not bringing SANTANU to the final through WILD CARD contestants. In this case, I will cheer up to AMIT though he has forgotten his lines in the songs. But he deserves the place to be a finalist.
Aisha should have been in the final. I don't get is if so many people didn't like suhit and ankita then who the heck is voting them. Suhit and Ankita fans need to realise that they aren't good and they should go and Amit is the one who deserves another chance and not suhit or ankita. This is a siging show not who is the best looking person. I was so angry yesterday because aisha got voted out people are very stupid. So what if we keep voting like this then we will have as crap an indian idol as Sandeep great.....or we will have that stupid richa is that what people want people that look good but sing terrible???
HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ankita...........
is deserving particator to come on wild card entry..... not any other.she is extremely best rather than all and desrves to become INDIAN IDOL this time.
All da BEST ANKITA.........
