Article:No makeovers here--

S tar has also jumped into the fray of music based reality talent hunt shows with Amul Star Voice of India. The show is hosted by Shaan. The celebrity judges are Alka Yagnik, Abhijeet, Aadesh Sri- vastava, Jatin and Lalit Pan- dit. Judges speak Abhijeet considers the fact that the mix of singers and music composers on Voice of India will give it the required edge as com- pared to Indian Idol and Sa Re Ga Ma Challenge 2007. He says, "The other shows are making a mockery of music by making fun of those who can't sing. If it's a singing contest, why waste time showing those participants who have no knowl- edge of music?" Yagnik say, "We're looking for voice quality, potential and vari- ety. It's upsetting to know that deserving candidates are voted out by emotionally charged viewers." Many controversies were raked up following Alka's and Abhijeet's spats on L'iL Champs. She says, "At times, we do get emotional. But, it's a profession- al decision and nothing personal. "We have to pick a contestant who has the grit to make a suc- cess of his/her life in the com- petitive world of playback singing..it's natural to have a dif- ference of opinion." Srivastava says that he will be very tough with bad singers; "This platform is only for those who have a good voice to be able to sing in films." Ground events Each audition is followed by a ground event in the same city. Shaan and the judges have trav- elled to Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Jaipur and Kolkata over- seeing the ground events. A panel of local judges - Saat Hindustani- from the six cities also assist the judges in this process. Stating that the ground events are the differential factor from other shows, director Gajendrra Siingh says, "Hold- ing a ground event as opposed to shooting in the studio involves more audiences. It also elimi- nates any doubts in the viewers mind about favouritism in the selection of participants." Thirty contestants will come to Mumbai. They will be divided into two teams and will undergo training for the final competition. Saying that the basic premise is light classical music, he adds that viewers voting will only be introduced when 12 contestants remain to avoid good singers being eliminated due to emotion- al bias or regional factors. Competition What about competition from Indian Idol and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge? Siingh says, "Talent scouting is my forte. Three shows of one genre on air at the same time will make everyone work hard. Viewers will get to see the best." Stating that Voice of India is not a show that focuses on a par- ticipant's makeover, Shaan con- cludes, "The emphasis is solely on music. Appearances don't mat- ter here." usha.thomas@hindustantimes.com