Idol Talk-Chang/Dipali Intrvw durin Kolkata Auditn

From one Indian Idol to the next. Indian Idol 3 finalists Meiyang Chang and Deepali Kishore are the oven-fresh hosts of Indian Idol 4. Our repoter caught up with the two singers-turned-anchors for a chat on life with Indian Idol?

Idol 3 to Idol 4. Deja vu?

Chang: Ek alag tarah ki feeling hai. The Indian Idol stage has given me so much. Whatever I am today is because of the show. People know me, come up to me, talk to me because of Indian Idol. Last year, I was a participant, suddenly exposed to the limelight. Today I am more confident, but I am still learning the ropes. Deepali: Anchoring is obviously very different from the singing experience. But the Indian Idol experience for me over the last two years has simply been fantastic. I really felt nostalgic when I saw the participants, the stage and the setup again. It took me back to the initial days of Indian Idol when I was trying to make my mark as a participant.

From singer to anchor

Chang: I will always be a singer first. And no, I did not take to anchoring easily. In fact, in the initial days I did face a lot of problems with reading the lines from the teleprompter. But I am much more confident now. Mini ma?am (Mini Mathur, anchor on previous Indian Idol editions) and Hussain sir (anchor on Indian Idol 3) have been extremely helpful. Deepali: I have realised that I am not a good actor. Both Chang and I went through 15 days of training after we were signed on for the show. We had to go through a number of workshops and were even made to interact with strangers so that we could loosen up as anchors. Then there were our clothes, our hair, how to walk as anchors, how to talk as anchors, we were taught everything.

The Chang-Deepali chemistry

Chang: Deepali and I are very good friends and the comfort factor translates to good chemistry on screen. We have both helped each other a lot. Being good friends also means that we have the liberty to point out each other?s mistakes and weaknesses without the other taking offence.
Deepali: Chang is a dear friend. I feel extremely comfortable with him. As a girl, certain things may pose a problem. In places where there would be a huge crowd during the auditions, Chang would come to my rescue.

Mini-Hussain comparisons

Chang: Mini ma?am and Hussain sir have been absolute sweethearts. They have helped and motivated us a lot. I can?t even think of trying to score over them. If I can even achieve a tenth of what they have done as Indian Idol anchors, I will be happy.
Deepali: According to me, Mini ma?am is the best anchor in the industry today. She has given me a lot of advice and motivation. She is an integral part of Indian Idol. No one can replace her.

The judges

Chang: There are two new judges this time in the form of Kailash Kher and Sonali Bendre. I feel that each of the four judges (the other two being Anu Malik and Javed Akhtar) bring something unique to the show.
Deepali: Javed saab said a very nice thing the other day. He said: ?Yeh judge ka panel ek gaane ka safar samjhata hai.? That is because there is a music director in Anu Malik, a lyricist in the form of Javed saab himself, a singer in Kailash Kher and an actor in Sonali Bendre. I personally feel that this is the best judging line-up on Indian Idol so far.

Life beyond Idol

Chang: I have stopped my riyaaz because of my anchoring commitments. I plan to start it soon. I am still very much a part of my band F4 and we plan to do something real soon.
Deepali: I am studying mass communication right now. Singing will always be my first love. But I am also open to anchoring offers.