'It's better I got out so soon' - Shivam Pathak

Shivam Pathak is the recent contestant to be eliminated from Sony TV's Indian Idol. However, he easily overcomes the sense of disappointment with good sensed humor. According to Shivam, 'It's not the end, it's just the beginning.'

Over to Shivam…

You have always been among the top few…did you imagine you'd be the fourth runner up?
No I didn't imagine or expect this to happen. It was shocking…but what's happened is happened. I think according to the judges I was in the top three even in the last episode.

Do you think the Veto power should have been used for you?
Well, the judges already used it once and as per rule they couldn't use it again…

Will you continue to be in touch with the judges?
Yes, of course! I have a good relation with all of them and I intend to keep it that way.

How did everyone react to your elimination?
Well, Sunidhi cried. Salim got very tensed. I really couldn't see my co-contestants clearly to judge their reaction. But the judges told me not to worry. They assured me that they are always there for me.

Can you tell us more of your background?
I'm from a very small town called Lakhimpur in Uttar Pradesh. Somehow I pulled myself till 12th standard and later came to Mumbai to pursue my musical interests. But I wanted to do something more solid in studies so did a course in hardware and networking. After that I started training under Shri Suresh Wadkar. He helped me understand my voice and shape it accordingly.

What are your future plans?
I was always into music. I will continue to work hard and do riyaaz for 8 hours a day. It's not the end, just the beginning of a new phase.

How was your overall experience?
Overall experience was fantastic! When I entered Indian Idol I was slim with daadi-mooch (beard-moustache). Now as you can see I'm all cleaned up. I've put on a little weight (laughs). Apart from my personality, my singing has greatly shaped up too! I've learnt so much by being a part of this show!

Do you feel you should've gone a level ahead?
I think if I wasn't meant to be the winner, its better I got out so soon. After getting more close to the coveted title, if I'd have lost it, then I would've been more dejected.

With which contestant did you get more close?
I was close to everyone. Rakesh , Swaroop, Bhumi  And Sriram all of them are my good friends.  Yes…but I think with Swaroop there's this connection of comedy. We keep cracking jokes and laughing over almost everything! In fact even now, Swaroop is right next to me. The friendships that I've developed are something that I will definitely miss. Friends have always been a very important part of my life. I'm glad to have made new ones.

Reporter and Author: Susan Jose