| Hey ppl got this article from a group i've joined...so thought to share it with u guys.......! Crowning idol.... | |||||||||
| With excitement building over the final result announcement—on March 5—it's time to take a step back. Our correspondent tracks the Indian Idol journey | |||||||||
LIKE Sony's other recent hit, Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, this too is a concept borrowed from the West. Fashioned on UK's Pop Idol, it held 21,000 auditions across the country, giving aspirants a chance to serenade style critic Farah Khan, tune tutor Sonu Nigam and burr-in-the-blanket Anu Malik. The mobile phone replaced the remote control as TV's power tool as the audience voted their favourite contestants to the top. According to Ekta Kapoor, creative director, Balaji Telefilms, ''It's changed the face of television, created a new audience and brought in interactive programming. I personally don't watch reality shows, but this one hit bullseye.'' Over two crore text messages have poured in from viewers, with the record being 30 lakh in a single night of polling—when Rahul Vaidya was eliminated. Ferociously promoted in cinema halls, on hoardings (one lakh of them) and even on car windshields, it had everyone from the cabbie to the corporate glued to their cell phones. They laughed and cried as contestants were voted out, and thronged the streets during public events, for a glimpse of their future celebrity.
IF you thought a groovy voice, with-it attitude and killer looks were the prerequisites for a singing star, the Indian audience seems to believe otherwise. ''The country is very emotional,'' admits Rahul Vaidya, voted out of the top three despite presenting quite a complete stud package. Bewildered fans helplessly watched him being knocked out by all-India voters, raising record TRPs of 9.6. After her behenji-to-babe transformation, Prajakta Shukre seemed to have a sure shot at the title. But just as she was getting cool 'n' comfy, the audience decided her number was up. Instead, viewers retained Amit Sana and Abhijeet Sawant. And it helped that the former was nursing a sore throat on judgment day, while the latter flashed his endearing chocolate boy smile. Vote vibe AS the messages poured in, the channel had to extend the time limit for voting, from 12.00 am to 1.00 am on the day of telecast. Rajiv Hiranandani, country head Mobile2Win, Sony's wireless partner, gives us the lowdown on the voting moves. • The largest number of messages to come in from a single number was about 80. • On an average, viewers sent in three votes per mobile phone. • Voting peaked between 9:30 pm and 12:30 am.
We wondered whether the unlimited SMSes per mobile scheme was a tad unfair on contestants whose fans weren't as obsessive. ''The rules are the same for all,'' points out creative director Sanjiv Sharma, ''Everyone knows competition's tough. And it's up to the fans to vote their favourite contestant in.'' Fan fareI DON'T know how people have got our personal phone numbers,'' says a bemused Sana. His cell phone can't take more than 200 missed calls, and has crashed several times as a result. A day after the February 24 finale, the two were hounded with calls and messages—on one occasion, over 200 in under 15 minutes. ''I once got a message from a fan who said she'd voted 1,500 times for me,'' adds Sawant. Certified hottie Vaidya received a letter with hundreds of hearts—however the writer merely wanted to be his sister! ''My mother's also received six marriage proposals,'' he laughs. So far, the top three singers have received about a 1,000 letters in their support. Fans suggested songs and even expressed disapproval of the judges' decisions. Take-home gifts Although, there can be just one Idol, many of the others have left the party with special gift hampers. Saxena has already been signed on for Khan's next film; and Vaidya's bagged a 20 lakh recording deal with Sony. Even painter Ravinder Ravi went home with Rs 60,000 in his account, a gift from ICICI bank. And Mukesh Pancholi, also from an impoverished background like Ravi, is being hosted in Versova, by production house Optymistix, till he gets his big break in the city. |
Jhanak
Shiv Shakti
