"Tumhari aawaz Himachali seb ki tarah meethi hai," said Anu Malik when he heard Anuj Sharma sing in the audition round. That's when this contestant from Himachal Pradesh (possibly the eldest contestant of Indian Idol Series 2 to reach this stage) was reassured that his Indian Idol dream could turn reality.
Anuj was interested in singing, but it was only when he was 20 that his brother Manoj, who stays in the UK came over to convince him that he should pursue music seriously.
Manoj was confident that Anuj would do very well in the music field since he had heard Anuj entertain people in his town, singing the folk music of Himachal.
Anuj took a little time to think but when he made a decision, he stuck on to it. Today he holds a post-graduate degree in music and is also learning sound recording in Delhi, as he believes that in today's time, music arrangement is as important as good musi. Anuj also continues to learn music under Pandit Baldev Raj Verma in Delhi.
A die-hard fan of Sonu Nigam, Anuj has a huge collection of Sonu's songs but also loves the ghazals of Ustad Ahmed Hussain and Ustad Mohd Hussain. He prefers folk music to film music and likes the sweet, romantic compositions of old Hindi films.
Anuj loves to eat loads of cheese, but is also aware that health is very important. He also spends time doing his bit to keep fit everyday. An introvert by nature, Anuj's best friend is his girlfriend and soon-to-be-wife Vanu, a software engineer whom he considers as his punching bag.
She can help Anuj with any kind of problem. Anuj dreams of gifting the Indian Idol title to her as a wedding gift!
Anuj's favourite song is: "Zindagi ke Safar mein Guzar jaate Hain jo Makaam" by Kishore Kumar.
Marathi TV
