The 'Last Chance' in Fame Gurukul
Chaya Unnikrishnan
Posted online: Friday, September02, 2005 at 0000 hours IST
Rex D'Souza's re-entry into the show was the fastest. Last Thursday he was eliminated but the next day he was back doing Balle balle...Sandeep Batra who had to bid adieu in the audition stages couldn't believe his luck when he was given a chance to make a comeback with a bang. As the race towards the Fame Jodi gets hotter, the competition gets tougher...
Fame Gurukul, the music based talent-hunt, aired on Sony has undergone a twist in the tale. Just when the final five contestants were feeling secure about competing, knowing each others' strengths and weaknesses, the channel brought in three new contestants from the audition stages and three old ones who had been eliminated earlier. This is in keeping with the original format of the show produced by Endemol. Calling it 'The Last Chance',the channel is giving the contestants one more stint with 'fame'. However, only talented three out of these six will finally find a coveted place in Gurukul. The reason for the 're-admission' is to pump in new vigour and energy into the competition.
The new contestants are Monica Gadgil currently learning music from Ustad Dilshad Khan Saab, Ravi Tripathi training under Suresh Wadkar and Sandeep Batra who has done a few jingles and sung a Bhojpuri song for a remix album. A gala performance by the trio, last week, gave the viewers a chance to guage their singing ability. The jury members saved one of these contestants (Sandeep) and the fellow contestants saved one (Monica). The saved contestants will henceforth be a part of the show competing with the top five contestants week after week.
The other three contestants include Kirti Sagatia who's already been offered a song by Shankar Mahadevan, Mona Bhatt who, at the time of her elimination, had received the second largest votes from the viewers and Rex D'Souza who is everyone's favourite on the show. Rex couldn't believe his luck when he was called back on the show immediately after being eliminated. "I am grateful for this opportunity," he said thanking Ila Arun, the principal of Gurukul.
The contestants who had been recalled from the audition stage were more than grateful for getting another chance at 'fame'. "It's like giving amrut to a dying man," said a heartfelt Ravi Tripathi. Unfortunately, Ravi couldn't capitalise on the opportunity and had to bid adieu in the first round itself. Sandeep Batra, with his power-packed performace 'Yeh dil deewana...', had the judges on his side, while fellow contestants unanimously chose Monica who crooned 'Rang de, rang de...'.
As for the finalists of the show, they weren't exactly willing to give the newcomers a warm welcome. In fact, Shamit and Arpita were appalled that new contestants were being given a chance at this stage. "We have been under pressure every minute and struggled our way to the top. It's been a tough journey and now these new singers are getting a direct entry," they exclaimed disbelievingly. Shamit, however, was undeterred by their arrival as they had already undergone the trials and travails of hearing the judges admonish/ praise them. "Unlike the newcomers, by now we know what the judges are expecting from us and that's a plus point," he said non-chalantly.
Qazi who's been in the 'danger zone' six times in a row is confident that his position will not get threatened by the new arrivals. "Every time, I have been down, people have voted and bailed me out. I myself am confused as to what has made me so popular," he confessed. Trying to explain it to us as much as to himself, the boy with the long streaked hair said, "It's my performance that is endearing me to the audience. I can evoke emotions and strike a chord with the viewer." He may be in a singing competition but Qazi, who hails from Kashmir, is actually readying himself for an acting debut. "My dream is to be a superstar and I will achieve it," he said without batting an eyelid.
His confidence is not misplaced if you go by what Shankar Mahadevan and KK have to say. "The rate at which the audience is voting for him, we wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be one half of the Fame Jodi," stated Shankar. This, even though Qazi is not as good a singer as say, Arijit who Shankar rates as one of the best. Doesn't the composer feel that talent is getting short-changed? "Not really, this is not a boring singing competition. Performance counts. Why else have they created a stage that has a ramp-walk?" he countered. Writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar seconded Shankar's view saying that packaging was the key word. Of course, his criteria for a good singer is voice, sur, rendering and presentation in that order.
When it comes to appraising the singer, none of the judges believes in holding back their comments. "At the same time our intention is not to humiliate them. We say things as politely as possible," offered Javed. As for the calibre of the singers, the threesome agree that it's very high, making it "difficult to choose the best."
Fame Gurukul is aired from Monday-Thursday at 8.30 pm and Friday at 8 pm.
source: http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=11098
