Viewers just love me, says Qazi Touqueer

Qazi Touqueer can't believe his luck. The Kashmiri boy, a contestant of Sony TV's popular musical talent hunt contest "Fame Gurukul", has viewers rooting for him through SMS votes.

"I can't understand why I keep getting chance after chance. Char-char chances miley hain (I received four chances)," Qazi said.

At the same time Qazi has the confidence to move ahead of the stiff competition on the show. The judges don't seem to think much of his singing talents. But the audiences love him.

Sony Entertainment has received thousands of SMS for Qazi to stay on, though the judges want him out.

"What do we do with this boy! He has proved there're forces much larger than talent to control stardom," says Sony's Tarun Katyal.

Qazi chuckles with self-pride.

"I just don't seem to be getting booted out. It must be my luck. But more than that, the viewers just love me. Otherwise why would so many thousands spend six rupees each to SMS in my favour? Kuch to baat hai (there is surely something)," Qazi told IANS in an interview.

Eager, excited and a bit giddy-headed, Qazi represents the young wannabe generation from the smaller towns and believes in his own talent.

"Right from the start I wanted to be an actor. At 17 I had once danced in front of Farooq Abdullah and he had said I'm better than Hrithik Roshan. Can you believe it?" he said happily.

"Right now I'm quite uncertain about my future. I don't know whether I want to be a dancer, actor or a singer. Maybe I can be all three."

Singing came to Qazi by default.

"I'm not trained to be singer. I've an uncle who sings. But I never practised. Now when I'm suddenly in front of millions of viewers I find the need to sharpen my skills, to go beyond my limitations in singing. I realise my blind spots as singer. But I'm a performer. I think people like the way I move my hands, body, hair..."

Confident to the point of seeming cocky, Qazi's mainstay on "Fame Gurukul" isn't his singing talent, but the audiences' support.

"They love me although the judges think I've a long way to go. If distinguished judges like Javed Akhtar Saab find me lacking in my singing then I must be not up to the mark. But I cannot disregard the audiences' love and support. I think I am blessed."