'Saawariya', 'Om Shanti Om' rivalry spills over to TV

The festive season plus the importance of two super-biggies being released the same Friday is the reason why the competition between 'Saawariya' and 'Om Shanti Om' is so hot.

Television is also being caught up in the impending war of the Bollywood biggies. On Sep 29, while the 'Saawariya' team will be seen on STAR's 'Voice Of India', the 'Om Shanti Om' team will appear at the same time on Zee's 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa', thereby putting the average couch potato in a state of anxiety.

'Voice Of India's' producer-director Gajendra Singh said: 'Having Sanjay Bhansali and the two 'Saawariya' debutants on our show was such a delight. Sanjayji is a complete music person.

He handpicked all the songs from the great Raj Kapoor epics on his own and when one of the contestants Abhas excelled in singing the title song from 'Satyam Shivum Sunderam', he spontaneously came forward to greet the contestant. It was a very emotional evening for all of us. Though this is the first time Ranbir and Sonam were recording for any show they were so confident.'

The 'Om Shanti Om' special to be telecast simultaneously on Zee features Shreyas Talpade, Deepika Padukone and director Farah Khan. Shah Rukh Khan couldn't appear on the show because he is apparently contract-bound with STAR.

'But he sent a list of requests for the contestants to sing. Those will be featured in the second-half of the show. During the first-half we'll have the contestants singing the 'Om Shanti Om' tracks since two of our judges Vishal and Shekhar are also the music directorrs of Farah Khan's film,' sai Payaol Patel of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'.