It is a measure of how badly VOI is doing that although I don't watch SRGMP, I went back and forth between the two last night.
I did make sure to tune in to see Abhilasha leave and I agree with everyone who has already posted on this: what a class act! Her parents have raised her so well. She has shown this level of detachment when receiving high praise, looking slightly bemused even. Indeed looking back, many of these kids have shown that kind of poise: I don't recall Prantik, Prantika, Mirande, Arshpreet throwing a fit either. In general, it is the judges that have behaved really badly.
I would not be true to this thread if I did not however, state that I thought Abhilasha sang very, very well with Shaan as she left. Again, a song that was not impressive when he sang it for Rani, but sounded really good as a duet between them.
I did catch all the duets, I think. Abhaas and Jatin sang a song I like very much and were very good. I am going to watch this performance again. In the second round, contestants sang the song that got them the most praise, and Abhaas chose Aake Seedi Lagi. He was better this time--yes, it's possible!
I cannot recall the sequence, I think Priyani was next, with Abhijeet. Priyani sang well and without losing sur. She has almost totally tamed that unpleasant high edge and I think she sounded good in the low parts. I have been a trenchant Priyani critic but I want to say, I will also remember VOI for her Insy-Winsy spider like determination and effort. I caught only a moment of her second round performance and she sang Barso Re and sang it so much better than in the Sonu episode that if you missed the program and want an illustration of how much she has improved, watch this. Then her hold on sur was notional and her voice was full of jagged edges.
Was Harshit next? Yes. And he was good too. He smiled, he expressed and he sang the song well. Good for him! The smile vanished from his face when he later sang the Karz song. Really, the only person who looked more miserable than him was the celebrity guest, Shiney Ahuja. More on that later.
Toshi and Aadesh sang together but I watched SRGMP then. I caught a very small bit of his second round performance--his audition song, and he did not show improvement. What I remember as a virtuoso performance was replaced by something else.
Irfan sang with Alka. The song was so-so, Irfan needed Boost today. I did not catch the second round performance.
Ishmeet sang with Shaan and I really liked the performance. It was Jab se tere naina from Saawariya--a very pretty song, very much in Ishmeet's gently style and sung very sweetly and lovingly by both of them. This was the best of the duets. I did not catch his second performance.
I am not sure how much longer VOI will sustain my interest. It is very hard to stay up and watch what it is now, at this late hour.
Was that a tear in Abhijeet's eye when Abhilasha left? Let's not explore that potential drama. Alka however looked like something had hit her hard or that she had viral fever throughout the episode, and it is possible it was both.
Shiney Ahuja. Why? Even to promote this movie, why send a person who seems to feel like he is trapped. He wins my vote for worst guest. He just did not seem to care. Or he too had viral and had been forced to sit there. Every other guest seemed to be interested in the proceedings. Not him. Maybe GS thought, no one will watch today anyway, let's not waste a good guest?!
I really don't know how long I will stay up to watch. Especially because a children's special is starting on the other channel. If I don't then I will write this thread later in the day after watching the videos online. Or not. The heart is just not in it.
Anupamaa
