This article has been taken from curlio.com since they cover the indian idol in a much better way and I feel like I am sitting in front of television watching the episode as I read their coverage.
Note: Because of the show's format, I've split up Saturday night into two: the eliminations and the boys' performances.
After starting the Indian Idol 4 Piano Rounds with a bang, the Top 15 girls faced their first elimination on Saturday night.
Hosts Hussein Kuwajerwala and Meiyang Chang began Saturday’s episode by calling four girls on stage: Srijita Kar, Bhavya Pandit, Purnima Vishwanathan, and Priyanka Negi.
Then Hussein and Chang went on with that nerve-wracking, suspense-building dialogue that Indian Idol pays him the big bucks to say: “It may be that the next four minutes are your final moments on this stage…” You know, that type of thing.
Hussein then asked Srijita if she thought that her journey on Indian Idol would end so soon. Srijita replies that if she gets eliminated, then she won’t like it but she’ll work harder in the future. She said that she has prepared herself.
And then Hussein gave me, and everyone else around India, a heart attack. He announced that the first person to be eliminated was Bhavya. WHAT THE…..!!!! You could hear audible gasps across the studio because Bhavya is one of the best singers among this bunch, and performed near the top during Friday’s piano round. There is no way that she could have been eliminated. Right? Right?
But then Hussein saved my life by asking Bhavya to read from the cue card, which basically said that the results were being tabulated and that they would have to wait. Because of this, they did the girls elimination at the end of the episode.
Chang announced that on Friday night, Megha Sharma, Srijita, Purnima, Raina Lahiri and Akanksha Palkar received criticism from the judges. But the people have always listened their own hearts….
He then called Akanksha, Tulika Ganguly, Bhavya, Priyanka, and Shini Calvint on stage. He told them that their time on this stage is short because they are all safe! Well, I didn’t expect Akanksha to be safe (she was one of my predictions for elimination yesterday), but she is!
Judges Anu Malik, Javed Akhtar, Sonali Bendre, and Kailash Kher were definitely pleased. (I think Kailash was especially happy about Tulika!)
There were 10 contestants left and four to be eliminated. Hussein then invited Srijita, Sunakshi Raina, Sourabhee Debbarma, Ananya Mishra, and Torsha Sarkar on stage. At this point, I started getting heart palpitations again because like Bhavya, I think Sourabhee, Ananya and Torsha have a long way to go in this competition.
He first declared Sourabhee to be safe. As she was about to walk off the stage, he called her back and asked her to take Ananya and Torsha with her because they were also safe.
Sunakshi and Srijita were left standing on stage and Hussein invited Raina, Megha, Pooja Ghosh and Purnima back on stage.
Chang then asked Nirali Fauzdar to remain seated because she is safe. (Yay!!!).
Back on the stage, Hussein announces the first elimination: Purnima Vishwanathan.
Srijita was told she was safe.
Pooja was then eliminated.
Raina was eliminated.
And then it was down to Sunakshi and Megha. Sunakshi gave a great performance during the Piano Round and Megha did not, but Sunakshi was the one eliminated. I’m guessing it’s because of that annoying teddy bear thing...
The judges were also shocked at Sunakshi’s elimination, and thought that it was a wrong decision. But really? What did they expect?
Here’s my take on the elimination: The audience definitely got it right this time. I predicted Pooja, Akanksha, Megha and Raina to be out. However, it was only a matter of time before Purnima and Sunakshi were voted out. Neither one of them were strong contenders for the crown and whether it was this week or sometime in the near future, they were going to be eliminated. The audience just took care of it now.
Stay tuned for the Boys’ Piano Round performances!
Indian Idol 4 Piano Round - Boys Have an Unimpressive Start
| The fourth season of Indian Idol hit a high note this past weekend with impressive performances from the girls. Following that act on Saturday were the boys, who have been touted as the best singers that Indian Idol has ever seen. Did they live up to the expectations? Yes and no. So here we go with the boys' first Piano Round performances!! Hosts Hussein Kuwajerwala and Meiyang Chang kicked off the show with a brief introduction of the male contestants and, after much brouhaha, announced that the results for the girls had not yet been tabulated. They then introduced judges Javed Akhtar and Sonali Bendre. Kailash Kher came up on stage carrying a picture of Anu Malik and informed the audience that he would be giving judgment on AM’s behalf. He placed the picture on one of the judges’ chairs and took the other chair himself. Then we were off with the performances! And what can I say? The best definitely went first. Rajdeep Chatterjee – Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Rajdeep had me from the word “go.” He was the best performer of the evening. For those of us who are Indian Idol loyalists, he brought back memories of Amey Date from Indian Idol 2 who blew us away with his rendition of this legendary song. Here, Rajdeep did the same and he’s only 17! At the end, just when we thought he was done, he springs back like a fireball and shoots off the alaap like it’s nobody’s business. Wowzers! Not to mention that, yes, he does have a cute smile. SB: He really has a lovely smile. Your voice is also that good. Maybe it’s the happiness that comes through your voice. You sang well, and you know it. JA: Flawless. It seemed effortless, like a smoothly flowing river. KK: First, I’ll give Anu Malikji’s statement (In the middle of which Anu Malik himself comes up on stage, the girls results in hand!). From the beginning, you’ve been singing in tune. Don’t ever lose your naïveté. AM: Gave another really bad couplet, but said Rajdeep’s voice had a lot of power. Deepa’s Rating: 10/10 Saurabh Mehta – Zindagi Maut Na Ban Jaaye This song, from Sonali’s movie Sarfarosh, is a moving portrayal of a nation whose progress is stunted by corruption and traitorous activity. It is a plea for people to fight back against evil and defend their country. It evokes a wide range of emotions from guilt to sadness to pride and patriotism. This was a unique song choice for Saurabh, but overall was one that served him well. He had a few mistakes here and there and I thought he could have performed better. SB: You sang a song from my film and you sang it well. I heard this song after many years and it was absolutely fabulous. KK: Your voice is suited to playback singing for films. It would be great if you continue in this show and the country gets another playback singing. AM: You made a good effort, but ever sing I’ve heard Rajdeep, I expect something like him or better. It’s a 50/50 performance. Not bad, not good. JA: The tune and structure of this song is old-fashioned from a different generation. Perhaps it may not appeal to this generation. So it didn’t have the impact that it should have. Deepa’s Rating: 7/10 Charit Dixit – Badi Mushkil Hain The first thing people have commented about Charit is that he’s a looker. Yes, this is true. At the same time, he’s a darn good singer, too! Unfortunately for Charit, I’m not too fond of the song that he chose, but he did sing it really well. He has a good range but he tends to get careless with his lower notes. His higher notes are fantastic. There were also a few places where he went off-key, but overall, it was decent. KK: Your song wasn’t that great in my perspective, but all the best. JA: I liked his singing. You say that he is always in a mellow mood, but his singing has all the playfulness and romance that was needed in this song. SB: Your expressions were really good. There was a lot of softness, a lot of romance in that song. And I really liked it. AM: I like your face. You look good. So I would say…a really bad couplet again! (But no comments about his singing). Deepa’s Rating: 7/10 Mohit Lalwani – Ek Haseena Thi You know, I was so waiting for this one. Seriously. I’ve already claimed Mohit to be my favorite male contestant (along with Rajdeep) and I was naturally excited about this performance. Here’s the final verdict: SB: Your performance was good. The song was such that it automatically peps you up. AM: This song is such is that you were belting it out. You were singing it so loudly that you were trying to come above the track. And you split up the word galli, which was not fair. But I think there is a charm. You have a handsome (how else would you translate haseen?) face, a powerful voice. You are not any less than anyone else. KK: There was a lot of energy in your singing and your style. If you paid attention to the small things, it would make me really happy. JA: He has a powerful voice with a good throw. But I have to say something so I will. I thought that the feelings were missing just slightly, and that they were overtaken by your energy. Just be careful of that. You sang really well! First of all – I LOVE this song. You have to have a specific type of voice to be able to pull it off well. I think Mohit does have that voice. I think he sang it faithfully. However, I tend to agree with the judges that he was trying to sing above the track, which is hard to do. I wish the musicians had toned it down a bit, but then that would have detracted from the song. It was a lose-lose situation for Mohit, which he should have considered when making this selection. On the other hand, because it’s Mohit, I will say that he performed well. He was in sur, and really does have a powerful voice. Next week, he needs to come up with something mindblowing. Otherwise, I see his time on this stage as short-lived, unfortunately. That would make me very sad because I really think he has the potential to make it to the Top 12. (Anyone having flashbacks of Bhavin in last year’s Piano Rounds??) Deepa’s Rating: 8/10 Prosenjit Kosambi – Dil Hain Ke Manta Nahin Prosenjit seems like a nice enough guy, but for those of us who watched Sa Re Ga Ma Pa last season (when it was actually watchable, unlike this season) will remember him as Abhijeet Kosambi’s brother. Abhijeet won SRGMP Marathi and got a place in SRGMP International. During Abhijeet’s elimination, there was a small fiasco when Prosenjit gave the judges some back talk. But, let’s keep it real. Who cares about that?! I just brought it up because I figured if the name sounded familiar to me, it would do the same to our readers. I do not like this song and was not in the mood to listen to it, but Prosenjit surprised me with his singing – enough to where I actually restrained myself from skipping it. That counts for something right? In keeping with the general trend of Saturday’s singers, Prosenjit sang okay, but could have done better. And after hearing the judge's comments, I figured out why. JA: You sang well. You have a great voice. But I think that if you had sang a half-note higher, this song would have blossomed much better. AM: Asked if he sang in the original octave. (Hussein chimes in and asks if he thought this was the problem.) AM responds that I would not like to say about octaves only. He has a good voice. He’s working hard. But what good is a voice if it doesn’t touch the heart. Today, you’ve tried. But I would say that it’s a 50/50 gamble. Not bad, not good. SB: Your voice touched my heart. I thought it was like honey. You got the expression of romance. Next time, if you sing a more energetic song with the same emotions, nothing can stop you then. You have a beautiful voice. KK: As a musician, I would like to make one request to you. You sang well and have a good voice, but when you sing in such competitions in the future, keep in mind the original music director. You chose a scale in your comfort, but don’t do it that way. You have to show your challenges and prove yourself. I like your performance. Here, Anu Malik asks the musicians to go one note higher. This was absolutely the right move because Prasanjit sounded SO much better. I wish he had sang on that octave the first time! Deepa’s Rating: 6.5/10 Keshav Prasad – Satrangi Re Keshav is a playback singer for the Kannada film industry but is an unimpressive singer in Hindi. Singing Satrangi Re was a bad idea – his voice is not at all suited to this song. His forte is sweet, sugary romantic numbers, not wild, passionate numbers such as this. If you’ve been flying under the radar for most of the season and are trying to make a good impression on your first outing, you pick a song that you know you can perform well. Satrangi Re was a big risk for Keshav, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to pay off for him. He stands a good chance of being eliminated on Friday. AM: I’m very disappointed. Today, you broke my heart. From the beginning to the end, I don’t think you were involved in the song at all. You sometimes hit the right notes, sometimes didn’t. There was no expression. I’m very hurt, very disappointed at this performance today. SB: We’ve always had high expectations from Keshav. I liked your song, but it seemed mechanical. You should be more involved in it. KK: Your went off-key in the beginning. But even great singers go through that on stage. But I congratulate your effort. I liked your song from a playback perspective, but there is a big difference between live and playback in a studio. You have to learn to do both. JA: First, I will say that you have a good voice and you are a good singer as a whole. But in today’s performance, I have to say that every song has it’s own method, it’s own style. You started off on the wrong note. It was a song of obsession. It seems as if the singer is crazy over something. That didn’t happen. Your voice stayed silky, romantic and polite. It seems that your voice is not made for this song. Deepa’s Rating: 5/10 Roshan – Tanhaiyee Roshan actually has a nice voice, but this particular performance wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. He had some expression, but went out of sur in several places. Sonu Nigam’s original version is so etched into my mind that I kept listening for his voice (which obviously I didn’t hear). I think Roshan was “fluffy” – he had neither the sadness that comes with being alone nor the grief with which he is thinking of the happiness that has been lost. I don’t know, it was a rather bleh performance...how’s that for descriptive?!? KK: You started off sur. I wasn’t that moved by your performance. JA: When you started, your notes weren’t definite. But after that, you picked it up well and sang well. On the whole, it was a good performance. I won’t say it was a very, very good performance. SB: Your voice had expression and I liked that. Yes, it was not your best performance, but it was not a bad performance at all. I enjoyed it. AM: The mood is about tanhaiyee (loneliness). But I didn’t see that loneliness anywhere. Your voice should have had that feeling in it. In short, I would say that today’s performance was lukewarm. Deepa’s Rating: 6.5/10 Parashar Joshi – Ya Ali Ugh. I’m so tired of this song. Parashar couldn’t pick something else? It was awesome the first month that it released, but now it’s just annoying. Personal preference aside, Parashar’s voice is actually suited to it quite well. After the last three performances, I was looking for some kind of relief. Parashar made many mistakes, several of which were rather obvious. However, it was a breath of fresh air considering the performances that had preceded him. Parashar had a better showing than expected, that’s for sure. KK: I’m really happy with your performance. Keep working like this. SB: SB asked KK to clarify his advice to Nirali on Friday about holding the mike away from her mouth when getting louder to keep the sound balanced. She thought that it might apply to Parashar. They had a civilized little discussion about it. SB remarked that she liked Parashar’s performance and thought that he had a lot of confidence. You moved around a lot, you used the space a lot and that was nice. JA: Told Parashar that he needs to work on his pronunciation and diction. AM: You were shouting. You were not singing. The day you learned to sing, you are a singer. (Duh). You tried your best, but it wasn’t good enough. The people are looking for a great singer with attitude, personality and singing. Kailash liked it, I didn’t. The girls are still riding here then the boys. (I agree with that 100 percent!!! Yay for Anu Malik!) Deepa’s Rating: 7/10 Ali Hussain – Piya Re Ali started the alaap off really strongly and then lost it again with the mukhda. After my short-lived excitement, I wanted to throw a heavy object at my poor computer screen because of the disappointing manner of this episode. Then Ali forgot the lyrics - again! This happened to him in the Theater Rounds as well. Geez man, get it together!! His voice is not suited to the Sufi genre. If he knew this to be a fact, he should have picked another song for the first round. Experiment after you’ve secured a spot in the Top 12, which will give you plenty to time to practice a song that is not in your genre. This was a disappointing performance for me. It was too sloppy. Here, I want to disagree with Sonali (read her comments below). A singer forgetting the words is a good enough reason for me to not vote for him if he does it repeatedly. If it happens once, that can be forgiven, but to let someone off the hook over and over again is not the right approach. KK: This is my favorite song and you’ve sung it well, especially since your voice is not for this song. JA: There is a voice that is for modern singing and one that is generally for traditional. This is a folk song, but even “modern” singers like Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi could work in the folk genre. You needed polish. SB: Your problem has always been that you forget words. This is not the reason for us to lose a voice like this. AM: Another stupid couplet, but he praised Ali. I think you can go far. Just hold on to what you’ve got. If you do, you’ll get far. Deepa’s Rating: 6.5/10 Kuldeep Singh Chauhan – Teri Deewani Can I just say that it takes guts to sing Kailash Kher’s song when he is the one judging you? I can’t figure out if it was brave or stupid, but it was definitely bold. Kuldeep started off one a sore note, but picked up the remaining song very nicely and stayed consistent throughout. He has a good range, but like the other singers in this batch, he needs polish. His performance was decent considering the competition. AM: Asked KK what the inspiration was behind this song (to which KK gave a beautiful explanation. And then sang it… with Kuldeep. WOW!). For your voice, you need to work harder. Singing is definitely a God-given gift. You tried hard but today it could’ve been better. SB: You voice is good. You sang well. Definitely, there were some areas lacking, but I’m fully confident that a singer like you could fix those. JA: You didn’t pick this song based on the strengths of your voice. There were some issues with your lower notes. But in totality, I found the energy level and sharp focus needed for this song. KK: Didn’t give comments. He just sang. Awesome. Deepa’s Rating: 8/10 Pranav Srivastav – Chhaiya Chhaiya I have to admit that the first time, I fast-forwarded through Pranav’s performance. That’s how much I did not like it. Then, I made myself listen to it again to figure out why. This is what was wrong: he was nasal throughout, he had poor breath control, and there was no feeling at all. It seems like he sang it straight through, without any thought to voice modulation or sentiments. He also didn’t complete his sentences. Yikes! He stands a good chance of being eliminated on Friday. SB: There are a lot of expectations from you. A lot of things went wrong today. How do you think you did? (Said he thought he could sing better). AM: You lost your breath in many places, especially in the main mukhda. When you sing “Chhaiya Chhaiya,” you have to stay in tune, on beat, and with appropriate places to take a breath. I also thought it was little nasal. But somewhere along the way, I thought you tried to pick up on the song, and I like that. I think you should be given another chance. JA: I liked your performance on the whole for the reason that you were not copying Sukhwinder at all, but you tried to capture the spirit of the song. KK: You have a good voice. It’s okay that you chose this song for the challenge because when you hit the high notes, you go nasal. Deepa’s Rating: 6/10 Kapil Thapa – Dil Keh Raha Hain Army man Kapil Thapa, who’s my prediction to be the winner this year, came next with a soulful rendition of Dil Keh Raha Hain. I like Kapil. I think he’s talented, sincere, and focused. I don’t think he’s the best singer in the lot, but he’s teachable and that quality going to take him far in the competition. On Saturday, I thought he was great! Anu Malik did the same thing with Kapil that he did earlier the Prosenjit. He asked Kapil to sing it again on a higher scale. The difference was truly remarkable. He was great the first time around, but he was even better on the higher scale. Good call, Anu Malik! AM: Be very careful of your scale next time. For now, I thought it was good. Keep on working hard. You were in sur. I liked it. SB: Kapil, you rocked. KK: I liked your song, especially when you sang it in the higher octave. JA: You sang well. You have a good voice. But it’s the same problem – seems mellow your singing got drowned out by the music. Deepa’s Rating: 9/10 Remo Ghosh – Kasto Mazaa Hain This kid is cute, but I don’t like how he uses it to win people over. The thing he pulled with Priyanka Chopra was completely unnecessary. That makes him calculating, which I don’t like at all. He went off-key too many times for me to happy with this performance, but people will keep voting for him because of where he’s from and his age. SB: You have a lot of talent and this is an opportunity for you so don’t lose it. JA: Your singing was okay. KK: You need to improve your singing because your voice is really beautiful. And it is appropriate for playback singing and non-filmy signing. AM: All four of us like you but you have to promise to work hard. Deepa’s Rating: 6.5/10 Sandeep Ubale – Rimjhim Gire Sawan After Rajdeep, this was the second best performance of the evening. Sandeep was amazing all the way through. First of all, his voice has just the right amount of depth to pull this song off. On top of that, he caught all the minor nuances and delivered them perfectly. This was a bravura performance. KK: I see a big star in you. I’m very happy with you. JA: Standing ovation. SB: Your expressions were fabulous. You transported me. You were fantastic. AM: Your tears are telling me how much you need this crown, how much you want to succeed for your parents and for yourself. I honor that. Deepa’s Rating: 10/10 Bhanu Pratap Singh – Rabba Mainu Pyar Ho Gaya So Bhanu isn’t the only contestant who has tried every year and gotten rejected. There are others among his peers who are in the same boat. But this guy sheds a few tears and all of a sudden, he becomes everyone’s hero. Yeah, right. "Drama Queen" Bhanu started off really well, but when the music picked up, he became very sloppy. His singing needs a lot of work, but I’m willing to bet that no one’s gonna vote him out this early in the game unless the public at large has changed. Another "yeah, right". KK: During the Theater Rounds, Javedsaab said that everyone should always try. And that particular thing changed our minds about Bhanu and we let him in, which as never happened in the history of Indian Idol. And today, I see no flaws in his singing. I pray that the Indian people take him to the top. SB: Whatever Kailash said is absolutely right. Whatever God does, he does for the best. AM: This song was not easy. You sang it well. But you missed some parts. But now, you have to be careful because the boys who have gone before you have raised the bar. This competition is going to be dangerous. Everyone has to work hard. JA: You have a lot of feeling in your song. You have a heart that recognizes pain. As far as your craft is concerned, you can learn. Your lower notes were lacking, so learn those and work hard. Deepa’s Rating: 7/10 That’s a wrap for the Boys’ Piano Round. After seeing Saturday’s show, there are four male contestants who I think may make it to the Top 12: Rajdeep Chatterjee for his sheer talent, Charit Dixit and Mohit Lalwani (duh!), and Kapil Thapa, who will be bringing in votes from servicemen and women across India. As for the remaining two spots, it’s a toss up! My predictions for next Friday’s eliminations: Prosenjit, Keshav, Pranav, and Ali. |
| The fourth season of Indian Idol hit a high note this past weekend with impressive performances from the girls. Following that act on Saturday were the boys, who have been touted as the best singers that Indian Idol has ever seen. Did they live up to the expectations? Yes and no. So here we go with the boys' first Piano Round performances!! Hosts Hussein Kuwajerwala and Meiyang Chang kicked off the show with a brief introduction of the male contestants and, after much brouhaha, announced that the results for the girls had not yet been tabulated. They then introduced judges Javed Akhtar and Sonali Bendre. Kailash Kher came up on stage carrying a picture of Anu Malik and informed the audience that he would be giving judgment on AM’s behalf. He placed the picture on one of the judges’ chairs and took the other chair himself. Then we were off with the performances! And what can I say? The best definitely went first. Rajdeep Chatterjee – Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Rajdeep had me from the word “go.” He was the best performer of the evening. For those of us who are Indian Idol loyalists, he brought back memories of Amey Date from Indian Idol 2 who blew us away with his rendition of this legendary song. Here, Rajdeep did the same and he’s only 17! At the end, just when we thought he was done, he springs back like a fireball and shoots off the alaap like it’s nobody’s business. Wowzers! Not to mention that, yes, he does have a cute smile. SB: He really has a lovely smile. Your voice is also that good. Maybe it’s the happiness that comes through your voice. You sang well, and you know it. JA: Flawless. It seemed effortless, like a smoothly flowing river. KK: First, I’ll give Anu Malikji’s statement (In the middle of which Anu Malik himself comes up on stage, the girls results in hand!). From the beginning, you’ve been singing in tune. Don’t ever lose your naïveté. AM: Gave another really bad couplet, but said Rajdeep’s voice had a lot of power. Deepa’s Rating: 10/10 Saurabh Mehta – Zindagi Maut Na Ban Jaaye This song, from Sonali’s movie Sarfarosh, is a moving portrayal of a nation whose progress is stunted by corruption and traitorous activity. It is a plea for people to fight back against evil and defend their country. It evokes a wide range of emotions from guilt to sadness to pride and patriotism. This was a unique song choice for Saurabh, but overall was one that served him well. He had a few mistakes here and there and I thought he could have performed better. SB: You sang a song from my film and you sang it well. I heard this song after many years and it was absolutely fabulous. KK: Your voice is suited to playback singing for films. It would be great if you continue in this show and the country gets another playback singing. AM: You made a good effort, but ever sing I’ve heard Rajdeep, I expect something like him or better. It’s a 50/50 performance. Not bad, not good. JA: The tune and structure of this song is old-fashioned from a different generation. Perhaps it may not appeal to this generation. So it didn’t have the impact that it should have. Deepa’s Rating: 7/10 Charit Dixit – Badi Mushkil Hain The first thing people have commented about Charit is that he’s a looker. Yes, this is true. At the same time, he’s a darn good singer, too! Unfortunately for Charit, I’m not too fond of the song that he chose, but he did sing it really well. He has a good range but he tends to get careless with his lower notes. His higher notes are fantastic. There were also a few places where he went off-key, but overall, it was decent. KK: Your song wasn’t that great in my perspective, but all the best. JA: I liked his singing. You say that he is always in a mellow mood, but his singing has all the playfulness and romance that was needed in this song. SB: Your expressions were really good. There was a lot of softness, a lot of romance in that song. And I really liked it. AM: I like your face. You look good. So I would say…a really bad couplet again! (But no comments about his singing). Deepa’s Rating: 7/10 Mohit Lalwani – Ek Haseena Thi You know, I was so waiting for this one. Seriously. I’ve already claimed Mohit to be my favorite male contestant (along with Rajdeep) and I was naturally excited about this performance. Here’s the final verdict: SB: Your performance was good. The song was such that it automatically peps you up. AM: This song is such is that you were belting it out. You were singing it so loudly that you were trying to come above the track. And you split up the word galli, which was not fair. But I think there is a charm. You have a handsome (how else would you translate haseen?) face, a powerful voice. You are not any less than anyone else. KK: There was a lot of energy in your singing and your style. If you paid attention to the small things, it would make me really happy. JA: He has a powerful voice with a good throw. But I have to say something so I will. I thought that the feelings were missing just slightly, and that they were overtaken by your energy. Just be careful of that. You sang really well! First of all – I LOVE this song. You have to have a specific type of voice to be able to pull it off well. I think Mohit does have that voice. I think he sang it faithfully. However, I tend to agree with the judges that he was trying to sing above the track, which is hard to do. I wish the musicians had toned it down a bit, but then that would have detracted from the song. It was a lose-lose situation for Mohit, which he should have considered when making this selection. On the other hand, because it’s Mohit, I will say that he performed well. He was in sur, and really does have a powerful voice. Next week, he needs to come up with something mindblowing. Otherwise, I see his time on this stage as short-lived, unfortunately. That would make me very sad because I really think he has the potential to make it to the Top 12. (Anyone having flashbacks of Bhavin in last year’s Piano Rounds??) Deepa’s Rating: 8/10 Prosenjit Kosambi – Dil Hain Ke Manta Nahin Prosenjit seems like a nice enough guy, but for those of us who watched Sa Re Ga Ma Pa last season (when it was actually watchable, unlike this season) will remember him as Abhijeet Kosambi’s brother. Abhijeet won SRGMP Marathi and got a place in SRGMP International. During Abhijeet’s elimination, there was a small fiasco when Prosenjit gave the judges some back talk. But, let’s keep it real. Who cares about that?! I just brought it up because I figured if the name sounded familiar to me, it would do the same to our readers. I do not like this song and was not in the mood to listen to it, but Prosenjit surprised me with his singing – enough to where I actually restrained myself from skipping it. That counts for something right? In keeping with the general trend of Saturday’s singers, Prosenjit sang okay, but could have done better. And after hearing the judge's comments, I figured out why. JA: You sang well. You have a great voice. But I think that if you had sang a half-note higher, this song would have blossomed much better. AM: Asked if he sang in the original octave. (Hussein chimes in and asks if he thought this was the problem.) AM responds that I would not like to say about octaves only. He has a good voice. He’s working hard. But what good is a voice if it doesn’t touch the heart. Today, you’ve tried. But I would say that it’s a 50/50 gamble. Not bad, not good. SB: Your voice touched my heart. I thought it was like honey. You got the expression of romance. Next time, if you sing a more energetic song with the same emotions, nothing can stop you then. You have a beautiful voice. KK: As a musician, I would like to make one request to you. You sang well and have a good voice, but when you sing in such competitions in the future, keep in mind the original music director. You chose a scale in your comfort, but don’t do it that way. You have to show your challenges and prove yourself. I like your performance. Here, Anu Malik asks the musicians to go one note higher. This was absolutely the right move because Prasanjit sounded SO much better. I wish he had sang on that octave the first time! Deepa’s Rating: 6.5/10 Keshav Prasad – Satrangi Re Keshav is a playback singer for the Kannada film industry but is an unimpressive singer in Hindi. Singing Satrangi Re was a bad idea – his voice is not at all suited to this song. His forte is sweet, sugary romantic numbers, not wild, passionate numbers such as this. If you’ve been flying under the radar for most of the season and are trying to make a good impression on your first outing, you pick a song that you know you can perform well. Satrangi Re was a big risk for Keshav, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to pay off for him. He stands a good chance of being eliminated on Friday. AM: I’m very disappointed. Today, you broke my heart. From the beginning to the end, I don’t think you were involved in the song at all. You sometimes hit the right notes, sometimes didn’t. There was no expression. I’m very hurt, very disappointed at this performance today. SB: We’ve always had high expectations from Keshav. I liked your song, but it seemed mechanical. You should be more involved in it. KK: Your went off-key in the beginning. But even great singers go through that on stage. But I congratulate your effort. I liked your song from a playback perspective, but there is a big difference between live and playback in a studio. You have to learn to do both. JA: First, I will say that you have a good voice and you are a good singer as a whole. But in today’s performance, I have to say that every song has it’s own method, it’s own style. You started off on the wrong note. It was a song of obsession. It seems as if the singer is crazy over something. That didn’t happen. Your voice stayed silky, romantic and polite. It seems that your voice is not made for this song. Deepa’s Rating: 5/10 Roshan – Tanhaiyee Roshan actually has a nice voice, but this particular performance wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. He had some expression, but went out of sur in several places. Sonu Nigam’s original version is so etched into my mind that I kept listening for his voice (which obviously I didn’t hear). I think Roshan was “fluffy” – he had neither the sadness that comes with being alone nor the grief with which he is thinking of the happiness that has been lost. I don’t know, it was a rather bleh performance...how’s that for descriptive?!? KK: You started off sur. I wasn’t that moved by your performance. JA: When you started, your notes weren’t definite. But after that, you picked it up well and sang well. On the whole, it was a good performance. I won’t say it was a very, very good performance. SB: Your voice had expression and I liked that. Yes, it was not your best performance, but it was not a bad performance at all. I enjoyed it. AM: The mood is about tanhaiyee (loneliness). But I didn’t see that loneliness anywhere. Your voice should have had that feeling in it. In short, I would say that today’s performance was lukewarm. Deepa’s Rating: 6.5/10 Parashar Joshi – Ya Ali Ugh. I’m so tired of this song. Parashar couldn’t pick something else? It was awesome the first month that it released, but now it’s just annoying. Personal preference aside, Parashar’s voice is actually suited to it quite well. After the last three performances, I was looking for some kind of relief. Parashar made many mistakes, several of which were rather obvious. However, it was a breath of fresh air considering the performances that had preceded him. Parashar had a better showing than expected, that’s for sure. KK: I’m really happy with your performance. Keep working like this. SB: SB asked KK to clarify his advice to Nirali on Friday about holding the mike away from her mouth when getting louder to keep the sound balanced. She thought that it might apply to Parashar. They had a civilized little discussion about it. SB remarked that she liked Parashar’s performance and thought that he had a lot of confidence. You moved around a lot, you used the space a lot and that was nice. JA: Told Parashar that he needs to work on his pronunciation and diction. AM: You were shouting. You were not singing. The day you learned to sing, you are a singer. (Duh). You tried your best, but it wasn’t good enough. The people are looking for a great singer with attitude, personality and singing. Kailash liked it, I didn’t. The girls are still riding here then the boys. (I agree with that 100 percent!!! Yay for Anu Malik!) Deepa’s Rating: 7/10 Ali Hussain – Piya Re Ali started the alaap off really strongly and then lost it again with the mukhda. After my short-lived excitement, I wanted to throw a heavy object at my poor computer screen because of the disappointing manner of this episode. Then Ali forgot the lyrics - again! This happened to him in the Theater Rounds as well. Geez man, get it together!! His voice is not suited to the Sufi genre. If he knew this to be a fact, he should have picked another song for the first round. Experiment after you’ve secured a spot in the Top 12, which will give you plenty to time to practice a song that is not in your genre. This was a disappointing performance for me. It was too sloppy. Here, I want to disagree with Sonali (read her comments below). A singer forgetting the words is a good enough reason for me to not vote for him if he does it repeatedly. If it happens once, that can be forgiven, but to let someone off the hook over and over again is not the right approach. KK: This is my favorite song and you’ve sung it well, especially since your voice is not for this song. JA: There is a voice that is for modern singing and one that is generally for traditional. This is a folk song, but even “modern” singers like Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi could work in the folk genre. You needed polish. SB: Your problem has always been that you forget words. This is not the reason for us to lose a voice like this. AM: Another stupid couplet, but he praised Ali. I think you can go far. Just hold on to what you’ve got. If you do, you’ll get far. Deepa’s Rating: 6.5/10 Kuldeep Singh Chauhan – Teri Deewani Can I just say that it takes guts to sing Kailash Kher’s song when he is the one judging you? I can’t figure out if it was brave or stupid, but it was definitely bold. Kuldeep started off one a sore note, but picked up the remaining song very nicely and stayed consistent throughout. He has a good range, but like the other singers in this batch, he needs polish. His performance was decent considering the competition. AM: Asked KK what the inspiration was behind this song (to which KK gave a beautiful explanation. And then sang it… with Kuldeep. WOW!). For your voice, you need to work harder. Singing is definitely a God-given gift. You tried hard but today it could’ve been better. SB: You voice is good. You sang well. Definitely, there were some areas lacking, but I’m fully confident that a singer like you could fix those. JA: You didn’t pick this song based on the strengths of your voice. There were some issues with your lower notes. But in totality, I found the energy level and sharp focus needed for this song. KK: Didn’t give comments. He just sang. Awesome. Deepa’s Rating: 8/10 Pranav Srivastav – Chhaiya Chhaiya I have to admit that the first time, I fast-forwarded through Pranav’s performance. That’s how much I did not like it. Then, I made myself listen to it again to figure out why. This is what was wrong: he was nasal throughout, he had poor breath control, and there was no feeling at all. It seems like he sang it straight through, without any thought to voice modulation or sentiments. He also didn’t complete his sentences. Yikes! He stands a good chance of being eliminated on Friday. SB: There are a lot of expectations from you. A lot of things went wrong today. How do you think you did? (Said he thought he could sing better). AM: You lost your breath in many places, especially in the main mukhda. When you sing “Chhaiya Chhaiya,” you have to stay in tune, on beat, and with appropriate places to take a breath. I also thought it was little nasal. But somewhere along the way, I thought you tried to pick up on the song, and I like that. I think you should be given another chance. JA: I liked your performance on the whole for the reason that you were not copying Sukhwinder at all, but you tried to capture the spirit of the song. KK: You have a good voice. It’s okay that you chose this song for the challenge because when you hit the high notes, you go nasal. Deepa’s Rating: 6/10 Kapil Thapa – Dil Keh Raha Hain Army man Kapil Thapa, who’s my prediction to be the winner this year, came next with a soulful rendition of Dil Keh Raha Hain. I like Kapil. I think he’s talented, sincere, and focused. I don’t think he’s the best singer in the lot, but he’s teachable and that quality going to take him far in the competition. On Saturday, I thought he was great! Anu Malik did the same thing with Kapil that he did earlier the Prosenjit. He asked Kapil to sing it again on a higher scale. The difference was truly remarkable. He was great the first time around, but he was even better on the higher scale. Good call, Anu Malik! AM: Be very careful of your scale next time. For now, I thought it was good. Keep on working hard. You were in sur. I liked it. SB: Kapil, you rocked. KK: I liked your song, especially when you sang it in the higher octave. JA: You sang well. You have a good voice. But it’s the same problem – seems mellow your singing got drowned out by the music. Deepa’s Rating: 9/10 Remo Ghosh – Kasto Mazaa Hain This kid is cute, but I don’t like how he uses it to win people over. The thing he pulled with Priyanka Chopra was completely unnecessary. That makes him calculating, which I don’t like at all. He went off-key too many times for me to happy with this performance, but people will keep voting for him because of where he’s from and his age. SB: You have a lot of talent and this is an opportunity for you so don’t lose it. JA: Your singing was okay. KK: You need to improve your singing because your voice is really beautiful. And it is appropriate for playback singing and non-filmy signing. AM: All four of us like you but you have to promise to work hard. Deepa’s Rating: 6.5/10 Sandeep Ubale – Rimjhim Gire Sawan After Rajdeep, this was the second best performance of the evening. Sandeep was amazing all the way through. First of all, his voice has just the right amount of depth to pull this song off. On top of that, he caught all the minor nuances and delivered them perfectly. This was a bravura performance. KK: I see a big star in you. I’m very happy with you. JA: Standing ovation. SB: Your expressions were fabulous. You transported me. You were fantastic. AM: Your tears are telling me how much you need this crown, how much you want to succeed for your parents and for yourself. I honor that. Deepa’s Rating: 10/10 Bhanu Pratap Singh – Rabba Mainu Pyar Ho Gaya So Bhanu isn’t the only contestant who has tried every year and gotten rejected. There are others among his peers who are in the same boat. But this guy sheds a few tears and all of a sudden, he becomes everyone’s hero. Yeah, right. "Drama Queen" Bhanu started off really well, but when the music picked up, he became very sloppy. His singing needs a lot of work, but I’m willing to bet that no one’s gonna vote him out this early in the game unless the public at large has changed. Another "yeah, right". KK: During the Theater Rounds, Javedsaab said that everyone should always try. And that particular thing changed our minds about Bhanu and we let him in, which as never happened in the history of Indian Idol. And today, I see no flaws in his singing. I pray that the Indian people take him to the top. SB: Whatever Kailash said is absolutely right. Whatever God does, he does for the best. AM: This song was not easy. You sang it well. But you missed some parts. But now, you have to be careful because the boys who have gone before you have raised the bar. This competition is going to be dangerous. Everyone has to work hard. JA: You have a lot of feeling in your song. You have a heart that recognizes pain. As far as your craft is concerned, you can learn. Your lower notes were lacking, so learn those and work hard. Deepa’s Rating: 7/10 That’s a wrap for the Boys’ Piano Round. After seeing Saturday’s show, there are four male contestants who I think may make it to the Top 12: Rajdeep Chatterjee for his sheer talent, Charit Dixit and Mohit Lalwani (duh!), and Kapil Thapa, who will be bringing in votes from servicemen and women across India. As for the remaining two spots, it’s a toss up! My predictions for next Friday’s eliminations: Prosenjit, Keshav, Pranav, and Ali. |
Boys Day
1) Rajdeep Chatterjee - T.K. Chatterjee ( Father)
Laga Chunri Mein Daag
Lovely Smile - Sonali Bendre
Flawless , Effortless - Javed Akhtar
Aawaaj mein Bahut Dum - Anu Malik
Don't let the innocence go away - Kailash Kher
SMS Code :- Rajdeep 52525
2) Saurabh Mehta - Kolkatta - Suresh Mehta
Jindagi Maut Na Ban Jaye
Absolutely Fabolous - Sonali Bendre
One more playback singer - Anu Malik
50-50 not good - not bad
Not much impact - Javedh Akhtar
SMS Code :- Saurabh 52525
3) Charit Dixit - Mukul Dixit
Badi Mushkil Hai
Not Awwal - Kailash Kher
All The expressions in Voice - Javed Akhtar
Very good expression - Sonali Bendre
Good Looking - Anu Malik
SMS Code :- Charit 52525
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