Contestant sings with stitches in mouth

'Antakshari' contestant sings with 162 stitches in mouth

Mumbai, May 3 (IANS) Apurva Apte couldn't speak as a child. Now, with 162 stitches in his mouth after a major surgery, he'll be seen singing his lung off on May 28 on Zee's 'Antakshari'.

'I was born with cuts in my mouth, jaw and upper lips. I was operated when I was one-year-old and had got 162 stitches in my mouth,' Apurva told IANS.

It's a truly emotional moment for the young man's family and the other contestants. Before he was born, Apurva's father wanted him to be a very big singer.

'As I grew I realised my father's dreams and started practising singing. My father is my biggest inspiration and the only driving force in my life. It hasn't been easy. But I realised nothing was impossible for me. The two things that kept me going are positive thinking and sportsmanship.'

Apurva never felt handicapped as compared with other contestants.

'Not at all! Since the time I was four, my father had got musical instruments for me to practice singing. But at times I do feel a little nervous when I'm all set to face the world.'

Apurva hopes to become a professional singer.

'My dream will soon come true and I will be a rock star with all the blessings of my father and other family members.'

He says he had fun on the sets of Titan 'Antakshari'.

'I got lots of love from Karan Oberoi, Himani Kapoor (the two are hosting the show) and other friends on the sets. It was just like another home where everybody made me feel so special and wanted.'