Amit Pauls into a Carrie Underwoods?

From the start, the television popular programme Indian Idol has had some of the most popular marketing symbols on the marketing playground in its corner. Everything's up for promotional grabs but the question to be asked is: What happens to the Indian Idol after it's over? Well, he becomes a brand. Almost!

Tying in with credible blue-chip brands, being in stores, commercials and so many places is actually a sign that a brand has arrived. But that is all of it. The cultural import of the Indian Idol programme pales in comparison to its American original or its other imitations in other countries.

Elsewhere, the programme very cleverly makes itself so important that it insinuates itself into the respective country's music history. To begin with in American Idol and in imitations in some other countries like China, the contestants are paired up against iconic singers of their countries like Gladys Knight in the case of the American Idol. The ensuing juxtapositions naturally creates a comparison of superstar talent.

What impact does it have on the raw 'talent' with stars in his eyes and stardom in his mind? He tries to match up to the standards, and the bar keeps rising. So the resulting product or sound/tune/song merges into the natural progression of music history. The winner goes on to win a Grammy Award or the country's highest music award and the programme as in American Idol's instance wins the highest TV award.

The winner writes his own song, often makes his own composition and has more feeling in his songs because it is often his own. And look at his Indian counterpart. He is dependent not just on the votes that need to come in his support — which is okay being part of the programme format — but also on a whole lot of other things, like producers, studios and adjusting to the idea of impersonation. Thus by default the programme ends up heightening the atmosphere of mendacity attached to a programme already standing on the precincts of pretence.

On Indian soil, last year audiences voted for the wrong singer, he had neither credibility nor a creditworthy voice. And much as the channel tried to beat the heat of divisional voting in India, it seemed a lost winner who will never reach for the stars because he had no merit. And he has sunk, rather sung without a trace. As has most of the winners of the past.

This season is different. Amit Paul from Shillong is a winner who can take it all. And Amit has reams of success stories waiting for him. His ability to sing in Khasi to chaste perfection and his distinctive identity as a cross between a baritone and a tenor give him ample opportunities to cut more than a single disc.

Moreover, singers from the region he belongs to are often more original than their ilk in other parts of the country because they don't grow up so much on an overdose of film music as others do.

It needs to be seen how far and to what extent the channel will go once the show is over? In terms of exploiting a great voice, this will be it's true test. For, it is the responsibility of the channel to make use of the voice that that truly deserves a showcasing — that of turning Amit Pauls into a Carrie Underwoods.