News/Articles/Comments on Indian Idol 2 - Page 17

Tarun Katial may quit Sony, for Reliance
(Monday, Jan 16, 2006 - 06:00 am)
Televisionpoint.com Team
TV's wunderkind and Sony's blue-eyed boy may soon be shifting medium. If the rumours swirling in the media world are to be believed the 30-something Tarun Katial, SET EVP and business head, who made Indian Idol the big hit it was, is all set to shift out from TV to radio.

It is learnt that that Katial may join Anil Ambani's Adlabs Radio as CEO. The company, tentatively to be called Reliance Radio, recently won the bids for nine FM stations across the country. The other option is that he may be venturing out on his own.

Katial refused to comment on this. But on the big one for 2006 is Fear Factor, he says, "It's the world's biggest reality thrill game-show that has been running in several countries for over ten years. We've already shot thirteen episodes on different themes in Malaysia with different TV stars and film actors. We go on air early next year. This is a genre that has never been explored on Indian television."

N P Singh, COON, SET will be directly involved with Sony, he says, "I will take the charge of Katial duties directly until a replacement has been confirmed."

However, Sony's not talking, busy as they are with Indian Idol 2 and neither is Katial. It would be as interesting to see how Sony makes up for the loss, as it would be to watch Katial's next move. Eitherways, it is going to be a season of some moving and shaking.

For record note, Katial is the fourth media man to join the ADAE camp, ADAE was recently roped in in Divya Gupta, former president of The Media Edge (TME) as media advisor. ADAE also appointed Sandip Tarkas, former CEO, RK Swamys Media Direction, as the media head of ADAE. Rajesh Sawhney of Times Internet was also appointed as president of Reliance Entertainment.

http://www.televisionpoint.com/news2006/newsfullstory.php?id =1137374039

Tarun Katial to join ADAE's FM radio venture

Sonali Krishna / Mumbai January 14, 2006



Tarun Katial (pictured), executive vice-president (programming) and business head, Sony Entertainment Television (SET), is joining the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprise (ADAE). Katial, who was responsible for SET's format shows like Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul, will spearhead the Ambani group's radio initiative.

Kunal Dasgupta, CEO, SET confirmed that Katial had indeed put in his papers. "Katial has decided to move on. His stint at Sony has been of immense value to us," said Dasgupta, adding, that he would continue to with SET until it finds a suitable replacement.

Katial would continue to be a consultant for SET on its programming initiatives. Prior to his stint at SET, Katial was with Star TV.

However, its not known when Katial would take up his new assignment at the Ambani group, which recently bagged six licenses for FM radio in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

Katial becomes the fourth mediaman to join the ADAE camp, which has been on a high-profile lookout for media professionals.

Recently, the group roped in Divya Gupta, former president of The Media Edge (TME) – a Rediffusion's arm – as media advisor.

Prior to her appointment, the ADAE appointed Sandip Tarkas, former CEO, RK Swamy's Media Direction, as the media head of ADAE. Rajesh Sawhney, as president of Reliance Entertainment.

http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?storyf lag=y&leftnm=lmnu1&leftindx=1&lselect=1&chklogin=N&autono=21 1684

Hitting the high note

BRAND LAUNCH MOST SUCCESSFUL

Abhilasha Ojha / New Delhi January 17, 2006



Indian Idol opened up entirely new ways of marketing to television audiences

Like his future, Ravinder Ravi's old mud house is now firmly cemented. The former house painter from Ludhiana now travels by air to perform "live" shows in Dubai and has bought his wife a Maruti car.

This is the same man who reached Delhi for the Indian Idol auditions on money borrowed from his neighbours. He may not have won the grand prize, but India's first "real reality show" certainly changed his life.

It also changed forever how audiences and marketers viewed television. Now, those on the other side of the screen could be as much a part of the action as those under the spotlight. And as brand teams realised that audiences would actually pay to watch their favourite programmes, you could almost hear them singing all the way to the bank.

Marketing professionals interviewed for the Business Standard annual Brand Derby certainly found a lot to admire in the Indian Idol business model.

Seventy-four per cent of those polled considered the programme a "very successful" launch, while 17 per cent gave it the top rank among successful launches of the past year. Just 5 per cent considered it a flop. "Huge publicity and advertising", "unique, Indianised concept" and "good marketing" are just some of the accolades heaped on the programme.

Even Sony Entertainment Television (SET) couldn't have predicted Indian Idol would get so big. That it would grow into a show that transformed the fortunes of not just the participants but, as Tarun Katial, SET business head, eloquently puts it, "millions of middle-class Indians who held their dreams close to their hearts, waiting to change them into reality".

To be fair, Indian Idol was not the pioneer of reality talent shows. Rival channels such as Zee and Channel V had similar shows running long before Indian Idol was probably even conceptualised.

So, what was the strategy that made this show such a success? "Indian Idol," says Katial, "was made from the stories of real people, some of whom were typical rags-to-riches tales."

The concept was borrowed from Freemantle Media — which produced American Idol — and captured on camera all the drama, emotion and controversy that's inevitable in such shows — but makes for excellent ratings.

More importantly, the programme was quick to latch on to the other craze sweeping middle-class India: SMS. Audience involved was not just allowed, but encouraged — the number of votes a participant got decided whether he stayed or went.

As music director Anu Malik, who was a judge on the show, points out, "Indian Idol succeeded because it gave the nation a chance to choose its own singing sensation."

The strategy worked and TAM ratings showed the programme overtaking daytime sob sagas such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki. With 55 million votes pouring in from across India, Indian Idol's debut was truly impressive.

What also worked, according to Nina Jaipuria, vice president, marketing, SET, was the 360-degree approach to the programme's advertising, which began six months before even the first round of auditions. "There was a layered marketing strategy to build all the hype and frenzy," she says.

That included road shows where special, "out-of-queue" passes were handed out to a few, randomly selected participants and a website that contained information about audition dates and locations and how to apply, apart from trivia and fun facts.

"We never put a stop to our campaigns and continued to encourage people to vote," recalls Jaipuria. Apart from print and television campaigns, Indian Idol even had innovative promotions like morchas on railway platforms.

SET doesn't reveal how much the channel spent on promoting the programme: "It was one of the most heavily marketed shows ever seen on Indian television, with a reasonable amount of money thrown in for good measure" is all Katial says. Industry estimates, though, place the figure at Rs 15-20 crore; and the celebrity judges are said to have been paid fees of Rs 1 crore each.

Of course, the money was pouring in. A 10-second ad spot cost Rs 1.25 lakh, but SET had already tied up six main sponsors for the show: Airtel, Nokia, Rejoice, Godrej Ambipur, Marico Silk & Shine and Pepsi. Reverse advertising, too, helped. Jaipuria points to an ad for Rejoice shampoo where the Indian Idol logo appeared prominently.

SET was able to cash in on the Indian Idol craze long after the show ended in March 2005. Follow up stories of the top 11 finalists ensured that interest in the programme — and, therefore, advertising — remained alive.

And now, there's the sequel: Indian Idol II. What further proof of the brand's success do you need?

http://www.business-standard.com/strategist/storypage.php?ch klogin=N&autono=211814&lselect=2&leftnm=lmnu7&leftindx=7

All bets are off

The results of the annual Brand Derby have some disconcerting results for Indian marketers

Meenakshi Radhakrishnan-Swami / New Delhi January 17, 2006



It's like peering into a trick mirror. Look at the results of the Business Standard annual Brand Derby results one way and they seem to be bearing witness to the evolution of the Indian retail environment.

Turn the charts the other way round and you begin to worry about the future of the consumer goods industry. There's no FMCG product among the top three, or even the five most successful brand launches of the year.

There's just one, solitary representative of the category in the top 10 — but four FMCG products hold sway among the bottom 10! Instead, the winners —and by much more than a nose — are an automobile, an airline and a TV reality show.

An overwhelming 80 per cent of the respondents declared Maruti Swift very successful, while 74 per cent gave a thumb's-up to Indian Idol. And new airline Kingfisher found favour with 64 per cent.

Forty-two brands were surveyed for this round of the Brand Derby, conducted by Indica Research among 76 senior marketing professionals in the five metros.

As always — the Derby is in its 10th year — respondents were shown a list of brands launched in the past year and asked to rank them as "very successful", "successful" and "not successful". They then selected the brand they considered had fared the worst among the "not successful" brands and were also asked to explain their choices.

Not that they really need to justify choosing the Swift as 2005's Brand No.1. The Swift's been on the lips of car connoisseurs since its May 2005 launch. The unconventional design, exciting colours and — important for Indian consumers across the board — value-for-money proposition the Swift offered meant it was a clear winner.

It's BS Motoring's Car of the Year — need we say more? But even as a brand, "clever marketing and refreshing communication" worked in the Swift's favour. Maruti's been pressing on the gas consistently with this one; it's got the pricing and positioning down pat and has begun aggressively advertising the car in print, on TV, in cinema (in last year's blockbuster, Bunty Aur Babli) and now, online.

If Swift's success has been textbook perfect, Indian Idol broke all the rules. A slightly tamer version of the eponymous American hit show — judges in the desi version were merely rude, not vitriolic — Indian Idol brought the show into the living rooms and lives of its audience.

But they weren't just viewers, they were participants, whose text messages decided the fates of the singers on stage. Loud pre-launch publicity, several rags-to-riches stories, and a chance for TV viewers to vicariously live someone else's dreams of stardom — in retrospect, Indian Idol couldn't have not succeeded. Kingfisher Airlines, on the other hand, was all about dreams come true. Derby respondents seem as dazzled by the airline's flamboyant owner — brewery magnate Vijay Mallya — as they are by the brand that was, in the words of brand consultant Harish Bijoor, "originally a bird, became a beer and is now a plane".

"Glamorous communications", "aggressive advertising" and the Mallya-Kingfisher pedigree combined to convince a staggering 94 per cent of the respondents that the airline is a success, with 64 per cent saying it is "very successful".

Not all brands surveyed in the Brand Derby were as lucky, or as universally lauded. More than half of those polled (58 per cent) voted against the Hyundai Tucson, with 8 per cent declaring it the least successful of the 42 brands surveyed.

The trouble lay in a mismatch between product and positioning. "This is a me-too product," dismissed one interviewee, while another felt the Tucson did not project the right image for a "rough and tough vehicle".

The other auto brand that came out of the Derby rather bruised and battered is Ford Fusion. Although only 39 per cent of those polled declared it unsuccessful, 11 per cent felt it was the least successful launch of the year gone by. That's the highest score among the also-rans of 2005.

Respondents tore into Fusion's positioning, saying it was "confused" and "didn't meet expectations" — "Ford claims Fusion is an SUV, but it doesn't look like one," was a frequently heard complaint.

In comparison, the other two "not successful" brands fared slightly better — while only two respondents cited Zee Sports as the least successful launch of 2005, Dove Bodywash didn't figure at the bottom of the pile for any respondent.

Of course, the two brands did have their share of critics: 45 per cent believed Zee Sports was not successful,while 43 felt the same way about Dove Bodywash. The reason: lack of visibility. "We are hardly aware of its existence," said one reviewer. The way out for both brands, then, is clear.

The Brand Derby also includes one brand that deserves special mention, although it's neither among the top nor the bottom three. Beyblade began as just another animated cartoon series, but rapidly metamorphosed into a mania that swept school-going children across the country.

And that too, without any advertising. What was basically a souped-up spinning top became the must-have toy of the year — on second thought, make that toys, because new variants of Beyblade hit toy store shelves faster than children bought them.

The Derby does reflect that passion to some degree — Beyblade is No. 6 on the list of very successful brands, with half the respondents placing it there. Of course, 32 per cent said they didn't know the brand, underlining its niche appeal. But remember the trick mirrors: what appears niche from one angle, when viewed differently turns out to be mainstream.

http://www.business-standard.com/strategist/storypage.php?ch klogin=N&autono=211810&lselect=2&leftnm=lmnu7&leftindx=7

First look: Mallika on Indian Idol

Phew! Indian Idol 2 contestants have to deal with some severe sizzle -- they share the stage with Bollywood's resident bombshell Mallika Sherawat.

Sandeep Acharya, Panna Gill, Amey Date, Ravi Tripathi, N C Karunya, and Sagar Sawarkar will all be distracted to the extreme as the curvy Mallika takes her place as the celebrity judge for the first Indian Idol 2 Gala.

The episode is to be telecast on Monday, January 16, on Sony Entertainment Television, at 8:30 pm IST.

Be there as the stars of the next-generation meet the industry's hottest lady.

http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2006/jan/16look.htm

'Indian Idol 2' finalists woo Mallika

The 'Indian Idol 2' countdown has begun. The final 12 have entered the gala rounds. One unfortunate participant will be voted out tomorrow as the lines open for voting tonight after the show. The first gala round was shot last Saturday with the male finalists battling it out on a very-international looking, spanking new set in Mumbai's Kamla City area. The contestants wore black outfits designed by Neeta Lulla. The host of the show, Mini Mathur looked ravishing in a black saree with pink border. The six female finalists were there to boost the morale of the boys.

The judges were all pepped up as they awaited a bombshell to drop on the sets in the shape of a special judge. Mallika Sherawat must have been the curviest judge that the show has ever seen. She pleasantly surprised the judges as well as the contestants with her witty couplets though her I-was-a-struggler-from-Harayana bit evoked many a yawn.

The judges were all pepped up as they awaited a bombshell to drop on the sets in the shape of a special judge. Mallika Temperatures went soaring as Miss 'Hot Bod' Sherawat blew kisses in all directions including towards the contestants. The grand finale would be a treat to watch as all the six contestants try to woo Mallika with a beautifully sung 'Bheege honth tere'. Earlier the boys performed on various Bollywood hits, most of them recent.

N C Karunya

Age:19
From Hyderabad, he is an electronics and communications student. Singing since the age of 3. Is a trained Carnatic musician and Kuchipudi dancer. He has done playback singing for Telugu films. Touted as the Abhishek Bachchan of 'Indian Idol'.

His song for the first Gala: 'Chak De'



On his performance: "I was pretty nervous before the performance as my throat wasn't in perfect condition but after going on stage I felt I could do it. I didn't think I sang so bad that I got negative comments from Sonu ji, shockingly and Farah ji too. Mallika said nice things but she said similar stuff to the others too. The nervousness of the performance is over but the nervousness of the results is creeping in."

Message to the viewers: I never wanted to disappoint you but in case I have then I am very sorry. In case I come back to the next galas then I'll fulfill your wishes.


Amey Date



Age: 26
Amey is from Mumbai and music is his life for the last 15 years since the time he accepted the tutelage of Suresh Wadekar.Music runs in Amey's blood as his grandfather was a part of the orchestra that performed with RD Burman in his stage shows. Amey plays harmonium, tabla and sarod. He has been performing for the last seven years with Suresh Wadekar, OP Nayyar and Usha Mangeshkar. Immensely talented, Amey is a confident young singer.

His song for the first Gala: 'Juda Ho Ke'

On his performance: "After the performance I felt that I sang a little less than my ability; I can sing better than that. But whatever happened was good as I got very good comments from the judges. Anu ji said a great couplet for me which is a wonderful thing for me as it came from Anu ji who is one of the top most music directors of India. He prasied my singing and the credit goes to my Guru ji- Suresh Wadekar."



Message to the viewers: I would just like to say that Amey Date is an honest guy whose heart is pure. I am truly dedicated to my singing and if they feel that I have the ability to sing well then I would be happy to receive their votes.


Ravi K Tripathi



Age: 29
Ravi is from Lucknow but has been struggling in Mumbai after his graduation. He was selected for an MBBS course, but he ran away from home and came to Mumbai to become a singer. He stays with Suresh Wadekar at his gurukul and learns music from him. He was not so popular with the judges earlier but in the first Gala round he floored them completely.

His song for the first Gala: 'Jiya Dhadak'


On his performance:
"I was really very tense. You won't believe it but my heart was beating so fast that I was trying to calm down as it was a big responsibility. Like my song my heart was beating faster. (laughs) Sonu ji wasn't very happy with me during the Piano round and he is my idol. I have great regards for him and I thought that I have to please him. When I started singing I was completely submerged in my song and that made me truly happy."

Message to the viewers: I am a guy who has come here from amongst you. I have reached till here with your wishes; do continue to extend your love and support to me.


Sagar A Sawarkar

Age: 20
This short but sweet Mumbai guy is a Mass Media student. He has been learning classical music for the last ten years. He is a computer freak. Sagar was amongst the top 50 contestants in 'Indian Idol' last year but had to withdraw due to his father's illness. Anu Malik loves to pull his leg and everybody including the hosts of the show finds 'Sagar Baba' utterly cute.

His song for the first Gala: 'Dhadak Dhadak'

On his performance:
"Today's performance was good, though I won't say very good. I wasn't nervous but I wasn't smiling as Farah ji said. I was a little nervous, not very but a little. The biggest compliment I got from Sonu ji that this was the best performance so I felt very happy. In the piano round he had said that you have to work on your standing notes. Fortunately he liked that and I am very happy with that. We were told that Mallika was coming and that made us a bit nervous. We wondered how she will react and whether she'll like it. She said a couplet for me and I was totally blank. Overall it was fun."



Message to the viewers: They are my friends. I want to say that I can do better and this is the first gala. Maybe I didn't perform that well; I wasn't smiling. I can definitely assure that I can do better in the second galas.

Sandeep Acharya


Age: 21
Originally from Bikaner, Sandip now lives in Mumbai and learns classical music. He has acted in plays. The judges identify his singing with that of 'Udit Narayan' and he can replicate both Udit Narayan's style and voice. Sandeep is a very shy person by nature but transforms on stage. He received the highest number of votes in the Piano round.

His song for the first Gala: 'Jaanam dekh lo'

On his performance:
"I was a little nervous initially but later I was alright. When I performed I felt that it was fine; whatever happened on the stage was good as they say 'whatever happens happens for the good'. Judges praised me, Mallika ji was also happy and the audiences also gave a good response, therefore I felt that I did well. I believe in one thing, whether there is happiness in life or sorrow, one should always smile."

Message to the viewers: I would call them my friends. I know you love me, pls. watch the show and if you like me then support me

Panna Gill



Age:24
This Mumbai finalist is originally from Jamshedpur. Panna's father Lakhbir Singh is a renowned devotional singer. He started singing from the age of 13. Panna is a student of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Touted as the Saif Khan of the contest.

His song for the first Gala: 'Jhalak Dikhla ja"

On his performance:
"I was very happy today because the judges really appreciated me. I am very glad that I could make them happy with my singing and my performance. In the last performance I got mixed comments so I was a little upset with myself. I know I am a good singer and I am trying my level best, I have really tried hard this time. It was great dancing with Mallika ji and its really nice that she gave such good comments."

Message to the viewers: I want to perform even better than this the next time, if I go on to the next round.

Sonu Nigam


Sonu Nigam is the favourite judge with the contestants. He is the one who is ready with the most critical yet gentle comments. He loosened up a bit with Mallika on his side and even sang a song for her.
"I am very happy with the tremendous positive response that the contestants have received from the viewers. All the viewers have appreciated the quality of talent that has been showcased in Indian Idol this year. Looking back at last years 11 finalists and the way life has changed for them post Indian Idol, I believe these 12 finalists are already achievers. They have already made a mark for themselves in the hearts of millions of Indian viewers."

Farah Khan

Farah Khan keeps the audiences and the contestants entertained with her witty remarks. Looking lovely in a red embroidered kurti and jeans, she was Mallika's choice as the hottest judge on the panel.
"It is a pleasure to see your hard work being appreciated. Indian viewers have truly liked the contestants that we chose. The competition is definitely tougher than last year and it is impossible to guess who the viewers will choose this time! I wish luck to all the 12 finalists and urge the viewers to vote for the right contestant and give the country its next singing superstar." \

Anu Malik

Anu Malik who is the 'couplet king' of the show had to take a back seat as the fiery Ms.Sherawat stole the stage from the hot -shot music director. Anu graciously accepted his 'defeat'. This is what he said about the show:
"Many have been left behind! And many more will leave us… it's the viewers pick now! Only one can become the country's next INDIAN IDOL!! Only the viewers will decide in whom they see their apna Abhijeet Sawant. All the 12 contestants are a class apart… Indian Idol series 2 has seen the best of the talent on the show… The Gala rounds are very promising and the show has reached a very exciting phase… wait and watch what happens next!"


source:-
http://tvguide.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/msid-137378 7.cms


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Indian Idol 2 : high on glamour quotient!


Remember the shy Abhijeet Sawant or the reticent Amit Sana in the initial stages of Indian Idol????


Indian Idol season two: glamour brigade!
Remember Aditi, the girl whose Hindi left the judges gasping for words or the small towner Ravinder Ravi, who looked out of place in the glitz and glamour on display? Well, the flaws in each one of them made them special -- they made viewers come back to the show to see them grow with every performance. Not this time around. Indian Idol 2 contestants are picture perfect. Hardly a glitch anywhere -- they lack neither in the way they present themselves, nor in the way they sing.


For people like yours truly who have had the good fortune to cover both the seasons of the show, the differences are stark. While in the first season, the contestants were raw and untapped, in the present they are as savvy as they come. They not only know how to sing, but also know how to face the media. Above everything else, they are diplomatic and their answers suitably aimed at keeping the scribes happy, but at the same time give nothing away. Sony should be proud of this bunch. They are as much singers as they are ambassadors of the channel itself.



Idols all the way
On the eve of the album launch of Indian Idol, the contestants were asked a lot of questions, answered with ease by them.

Their thorough research of the show came through when a contestant referred to the original format and pointed out how that cannot be toyed around with. Another contestant, in what might be called a very 'politically correct' answer said (when asked if the viewers voting in was fair) that the "Indian Idol is for the people as he/she is going to ultimately sing and sell albums, so it's better that they choose their idol themselves!"

" Well, yes they have come as a package to us. Perhaps Indian Idol's first season has set a benchmark for them and this time around more talented people have auditioned for the show. It's evident that they have followed the first season thoroughly and they know what to expect. They are well prepared, but above all, they are talented. I wasn't surprised at the quality of these contestants, but was taken aback at the quantity of talent on display," says Sony vice-president, marketing and communication, Nina Jaipuria.



The stage's set for the 12 contestants
In both the editions, the contestants came form varied backgrounds. But this time around, they seem to have adapted more readily to the makeover that have been done to them. Hardly have we seen Aditi Paul or Prajakta Shukre in halters, tube tops or high heels in the initial stages, but Antara, Jolly, Yashashree, Monali, Neha and Meenal not only are wearing the designer outfits with elan, but they are carrying them off with a style of their own. Moreover, if one sees the demography of these participants, they are more or less similar. Antara, who comes from a remote town in the Indo-Bangladesh border, shows no signs if being a village belle as compared to Ravinder Ravi who ( till the time he was on the show) could never shrug off the village tag!

"I watch a lot of television, and follow the language and the dressing style," says a confident Antara.


Indian Idol: oh! the transformation!
"This transformation has given me a lot of confidence. I couldn't have ever thought that I can look so beautiful. I was a little uncomfortable in the beginning since I wasn't sure about the response," laughs Yashashree, who admittedly was a little doubtful about wearing off-shoulder dresses. "But this is how everyone is on the show and now I don't mind," she points out.

Monali, whose transformation has been quite drastic so far looked elegant in her black overalls, had come for the auditions in a chappal and kurta. "I was wearing a torn chappal. Farah Khan has really helped me groom myself," smiles the girl.


Dancing divas!
Whatever might be the reason for the changes, (and we are not commenting whether it's good or not) -- these changes go a long way in proving that the X factor is the most sought after commodity in the entertainment industry. Talent apart, this is one thing that can take you a long way. And if you are looking to make it to the television industry (singing, dancing, designing, game shows or news reporting and anchoring) make sure that your high heels, and halters fit you!



By ANANYA SENGUPTA Posted on 16 January 2005 9:20 pm

source-
http://www.tellychakkar.com/y2k6/jan/16jan/news_idol.php

The cutest 'Indian Idol' voted out

By Rachna Kanwar

The show-stopper of 'Indian Idol' and one of the cutest guys on the show was voted out last night. Tears rolled down Sagar Sawarkar's cheeks as his mother sitting in the audience looked at her son in disbelief. It was the most unexpected result of the first gala round.

Out of the six contestants of the talent show, Sagar was the most popular not just with the judges but also with the rest of the participants. He was often referred to as the 'complete package'

The female contestants of the show cried openly and so did his friend Karunya. Even Anu Malik was seen wiping his eyes as the host of the show Mini Mathur announced the result. Sagar sang 'Dhadak Dhadak' for the last time in the show as friends crowded him, crying and hugging him.

Anu Malik had coined the nicknames 'Chhota Baba' and 'Sagar Baba' for the cute, short contestant. He had endlessly teased Sagar with a female contestant, Abha who was eliminated in the Piano round.

This morning a composed yet foxed Sagar wondered why he got voted out, "I seriously don't know how I got voted out. My performance was good; singing was good, even the judges liked it. Even my image in public was good, viewers liked me. I think its all about destiny."


It was Farah Khan who had felt that Sagar wasn't his usual smiling self in the first gala round. "I had given my best shot; I don't know what went wrong suddenly. In the piano round Farah ji said I was her favourite and this time I decided to concentrate on my singing. I don't know what the audience thought about it."
The first goal is to complete my graduation and then to concentrate on my singing. I have been learning for 10 years but I want to learn new things. I will concentrate on a combination of performance and singing both.



It was a shock for me and I'll take some time to come out of this. It was a habit for me to get up early in the morning and sleep late at night. Press conferences and videos etc. had become a part of my life. I can take it positively and I believe in the saying from Gita that 'whatever happens, happens for the best'."
The memories of Abha and him in the theatre round still bring a smile on his face and a happy note in his voice. "In the theatre round we had performed a duet together. It was 'Tauba Tauba' from the film 'Kaal'. I think we gelled well and had fun while performing. And therefore the chemistry happened and showed in our performance. The judges liked it and called it the best performance in that round. Those are the sweetest memories for me."

On being asked who the participants are that he will miss the most Sagar said without thinking twice, "Karunya and Monali".
source-

http://tvguide.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/msid-137631 0.cms

The real bluffmaster comes to town

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=19&am p;articleid=1192006005384311920060023578

Man on the right is not Abhishek Bachchan but NC Karunya

Reena Thapar Kapoor

Riding high: NC Karunya

Ever since he danced to the 'Come to me...' track from Bluff Master, this hunk became an instant rage. And no, we are not talking about Abhishek Bachchan. The man of the moment is NC Karunya, who hails from Hyderabad and is an Indian Idol contestant. Karunya has an uncanny resemblance to Bachchan Junior. In fact, his nickname within the Indian Idol team is Bachchan Junior too.

A good singer and performer performer, Karunya has already managed to please Anu Mallik, Farah Khan and Sonu Nigam. Meanwhile Karunya is busy honing his skills. This 19-year-old doesn't let the applause affect him. "I take criticism more seriously than applause," he says.

Karunya is a third year B.Tech student and a trained Karnatic musician and Kuchipudi dancer. Since childhood, he has been participating in music competitions and has won several prizes.

Karunya has also sung for a couple of Telegu films. Right now he is riding high on his new-found celebrity status, and, of course, his uncanny resemblance to AB's baby.