Sonu Nigam miffed-grooming overshadowing

Making a point: Sonu Nigam

Sonu Nigam miffed

Says overall grooming is overshadowing singing talent

Kunal M Shah

Move over Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Fame Gurukul and its controversies. Now Indian Idol, the relatively less controversial talent hunt, has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. During the shooting of an episode, which will be aired today, Sonu Nigam lost his cool because he didn't approve of the songs that Sony had asked the contestants to sing. On the receiving end were Neha Kakkar who burst into tears and Antara Mitra. The songs in question were Neha's 'Zubi zubi zubi…' from Dance Dance and Antara's 'Tu rutha to…' from Jawani.

An infuriated Nigam says, "I have been unhappy over the selection of songs for some time now, but this time around it was particularly bad. Looks, make-up and the other factors can be worked on, but the ultimate criterion in a music contest is the voice. There are millions of good-looking girls and boys, but there are just a handful of people who can sing well. What is the difference between a common singer and an Indian Idol then? I definitely agree that an Indian Idol should be selected in totality. But the music aspect needs to be given attention too. It simply cannot take a backseat. We have to give these aspiring singers challenging songs to test their talents. I understand that the channel has a certain format to follow. But I guess a lot of undue attention is being given to makeovers. I have also requested the channel that the contestants be given more rest and make less public appearances," says Sonu

Reacting to Nigam's grouse, Anupama Mandloi, Sr. Vice president, programming, Sony TV informs, "Nobody forces a song on any contestants. If they are unhappy about the choice of song, they are given the freedom to choose another song. The music director decides on the time they should spend on riyaaz and training. It's a seasonal show and this is the only time for the contestants to be groomed."

Meanwhile an emotional Neha says, "All the judges appreciated my performance and agreed that the fault was not mine. I agree that it was an easy song but I loved it."

Antara on her part says, "There is never a good song or a bad song. There are good songs and not so good ones. I would never say that any song is a bad song. The one I sang is a great composition but I don't think that it was the right song at this stage of the competition."

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