'It was not the right time for me to get eliminated' - Sumitra Iyer

Sumitra Iyer, who made it to the top five in Voice of India is a disappointed girl right now, as she lost her way in Star Plus’ Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar and was the Challenger to get eliminated from the contest this week…

Here is Sumitra talking about her ouster and much more…

How did you feel being a part of Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar?
It was great to be a part of a reality show again. Television is a strong media to get recognized and I loved every moment of it. After all, aspiring singers need a platform for exposure and what more can I ask for?

Did you expect your elimination to happen so early?
No, I definitely think that it was not the right time for me to get eliminated. The reason for my elimination could also be my choice of song, which was ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’. It’s one of my favorites and I wanted to sing it. But it’s very unfortunate that I was shown the red flag this time. To be very frank, I have to see the episode and listen to my song to know how I performed, as the immediate reaction that came from all my friends and well-wishers was that I did not deserve to get eliminated. In fact, they were giving out other names who did not perform well at all, but I would not like to reveal the names..

What do you have to tell the judges now?
I think it is the judges’ choice and I respect their decision. So if you go by that, then my elimination is justified.

What do you have to say about reality show contestants trying their hand at acting?
I follow the principle that whatever you are doing you should be good at it and not try your hand on everything. If you are good in acting, then concentrate on it and do not jump to singing. The day I am satisfied that I am singing to the best of my potential, I will think about acting. To be frank I don’t have passion for acting and moreover, music is not a small field and it has a vast scope in today’s world.

What kind of a reality show will you do now?
I think Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar was a different concept and so I was keen to take part in it. Even ahead in life, if I am offered a reality show, I will accept it only if it has something different in it..

Do you think reality shows are real?
Reality shows??(Pauses for long). I feel even though I am a contestant, I am like you all and I too don’t know much about it. What happens on the stage is real, but it is finally the personal choice of the individual involved and would not like to comment on it much…..I cannot comment much about the voting pattern employed in reality shows, as I am unaware of the behind the scene affairs. The best part is that I have sung live in the reality shows and it’s not pre-recorded, so whatever reaction I get from the judges is on the spur of moment.

Any future projects?
I have signed up with Big Music and will start working on that pretty soon. I guess I will be cutting out an album. At the end of the day, all the success I get is only because of the reality shows I have performed in!! It has been a really good learning curve..

Author and Reporter: Binita Ramchandani