II3 Contestants in Lucknow: Article

If people were wondering why the Indian Idol concert looked a tad off-skew then here's why— anchor person Mini Mathur came down with a bad bout of viral fever in Mumbai turning plans turtle at the last minute for the Idol team which was banking on her to string the show together. So while her hair stylist and make-up person arrived as per schedule, Mini had to beg out of Monday's show at the last minute. A desperate hunt was then launched for a last minute anchor for the show which threw the young participants, still novices at public performances, totally out of gear. However, they took heart from the massive public support— people began flocking the mall three hours before the show was scheduled to begin— and went on to regale the crowd as best they could. Kanpur's Ankita Mishra, thrilled at being voted the Judges' wild card entry, grooved to the peppy Urmila number Rangeela.
"It's now or never," confided Amit at the press conference held earlier. "The show has reached its final stage. I am just concentrating on having fun and giving my best. It's now in the public's hands."