Hitting the right note-Abhijeet.Sawant

Abhijeet Sawant the first Indian Idol is emerging as the hot favourite in Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar. What's more, the singer is all set to switch gears to acting with Lottery What prompted you to participate in another competition?
Basically, there are two reasons why I decided to be a part of this competition. After I won Indian Idol, there were some people who sniggered that others were better than me and I didn't deserve to win. I wanted to prove them wrong. Secondly, I wanted to show people what I have done in these three years, how much I have learnt and progressed and this seemed a good opportunity. What if you lose this time?
I know it is a risk. After all, this is a competition. But I am not worried about it. I have been getting a positive feedback from people. For me, this is a platform to prove something to myself as well. I want to surprise people. During Indian Idol, people said I crooned only soft romantic numbers. This time I am singing songs of a varied genre. In the last couple of episodes, I sang Khwaja mere khwaja and Taare Zameen Par. Last week you openly told Amit Sana that you didn't like his singing, which was unbelievable.
I know. Many people messaged me asking how could I be so rude. But I was being frank . Amit is a friend of mine and I genuinely didn't like his singing that day. Even Vishal appreciated my comment. Are you friends with your co-contestants?
Yes. I am regularly in touch with Rahul Vaidya and Amit. Your first album Aap Ka Abhijeet was a super hit. How did your second album Junoon do?
Aap Ka Abhijeet was a super duper hit. It will go down in history as one of the largest selling albums. One cannot expect a smilar glory for the second album but Junoon was a big hit. For the first time I sang some rock and Sufi music, which was appreciated. After singing in a couple of films, your playback career never took off. Why?
Even I have been wondering about that. I sang a couple of songs in Aashiq Banaya Apne and Jawani Diwani. I tried a lot after that but I have realised it is not easy to get a foothold in this industry. Composers and produces are reluctant to give chance to a newcomer. They prefer sticking to known singers. I have met many composers over the years but haven't been able to make a breakthrough. From singing you are moving onto acting now. How did that come about?
After my first album Aap Ka Abhijeet was out, I got plenty of film offers. Back then, there was a lot of hype around me but I didn't have the confidence and maturity to get into acting. This time when I was approached by Hemant Prabhu, he did trial shoots first. That is when I decided to give it a try and Lottery happened. Also, the shoot started with a song, which made me extremely comfortable. What is your role in the film?
I play an introverted, soft-spoken accountant of a fashion management company. The film traces the problems that he faces, the traps he falls into and the changes in his life. I have also sung all the songs in the film. ve heard that you are also getting into production?
Yes, I am producing a Marathi film, the details of which are being finalised. A year ago your sincere and humble image took a beating when you did not turn up for a show over some payment issues.
Yes. But it was the middleman who played mischief. He told the organisers one thing and I was told something else, which caused a lot of confusion. After that, I had called the organisers home, returned the amount and sang for free in their show. Despite that only negative things were written about me. You even refused to talk to the media about your then girlfriend and now wife Shilpa..
That was because our relationship was in the early stages. We were good friends. Even our families didn't know anything. It was only later that I proposed to her. Her family said that if I was serious about her I had to marry her sooner than later. What does she do?
She is working as ground staff of Jet Airways. She is completely involved in my activities and is my moral support. Does she approve of your shift to acting?
Initially, she was very depressed. She thought I should concentrate on my career as a singer. But now that she's seen the film, she is very excited. "You can act," she exclaimed and is awaiting its release.

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