vineet's interview

Veteran cricketer Kapil Dev was reduced to tears during Zee TV's popular music contest "Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge" with hot favourite contestant Vineet's rendition of the patriotic "Sandese aate hain" from J.P. Dutta's "Border".

Says Vineet: "When Kapil Devji cried, I knew I had sung well. 'Sandese' is a long song. I chose to sing only the last stanza where the soldier remembers his mother. That must've touched him. Every week I want to please my mentor Himesh Reshammiya. I sing tunes that are a bigger and bigger challenge for me."

The episode will be telecast Friday.

The Haryanvi sportsman, who is the guest judge this week, also comes face to face with the 17-year-old 'hurricane from Haryana' Himani Kapoor.

And the effect is electric. Kapil will watch Himani sing Lata Mangeshkar's complicated and layered "Chitthiye" from Raj Kapoor's "Henna" and he's rendered speechless.

Recalling the experience, Himani says: " 'Chitthiye' is a song with lots of nuances. When my mentor Aadesh Shrivastava asked me to sing it this week I was hesitant. I thought it was way beyond my range. But the response I got, particularly to the little innovations that I introduced to the original composition (by Ravindra Jain), was beyond anything I expected."

Himani gets 10/10 for her rendition of "Chitthiye" this week.

Does she hope to win the finals? "I don't know. All I know is, I'm doing my best. People keep asking how I bring in those innovations. I don't know. It just happens when I sing."

A day before Kapil Dev special "Sa Re Ga Ma" goes into a black-and-white special Thursday. "I sing Mohammad Rafi saab's number 'Baar baar dekho' from 'China Town'," says the confident Vineet.

"I sing Asha Bhosle ji's number 'Huzur-e-ala' from 'Yeh Raat Phir Na Ayegi'. And next Thursday is a qawwali special where you will hear me sing 'Der na ho jaye' from 'Henna'," reveals Himani.