'Stardom' was a culture shock
Abhijeet Sawant talks about success, his biography and poor performances on Indian Idol 2
Subhash K Jha
You've had an eventful year, which includes a biography.
Yes, it does seem a bit much. But the book, Aapka Abhijeet, was planned as a bio-sketch of how I became the first 'Indian Idol'. Usually success stories are visible to the public. But I came into the limlight suddenly. Somewhere down the line we felt that people should know about Abhijeet Sawant's life and success story. The book is largely about my childhood and my experiences on the Indian Idol contest.
How has Indian Idol changed your life?
Completely! I used to be like any other average boy from a middleclass family in Mumbai. Not any more. Suddenly, there are external changes. But I don't want my basic nature and values to change. I'm making a conscious effort to remain unspoilt. Yes, outwardly my hair and clothes have changed. But the entire experience of 'stardom' was a culture shock to me. It was quite an eye-opener. I know one thing… you shouldn't allow success or failure to go to your head. You should just continue doing what you are meant to in life and leave the rest to destiny. I've adopted that formula.
Do you feel you've a responsibility as a role model for middleclass aspirants?
It is a responsibility. Earlier I had people supporting my dreams and ambitions. Now there's a group of people wondering how long I'm going to be where I am today. All I can say to these speculations is that I do not take stardom, fame and the other trappings seriously. My aim is to make a name for myself as a playback singer in the next five years.
People say you've become arrogant.
I'd rather ignore such negative talk. No one in my family has seen stardom. Suddenly we're under public scrutiny. It's a bit daunting. I'd rather do what I've come to do, that is sing. I've already sung in Aashiq Banaya Aapne and Jawani Diwani and am busy with my live concerts which I must admit has become slightly repetitive. After a while, I think I'll cut down on stage shows too.
Is money the only incentive for you to do stage shows?
I can't deny it's a big incentive. But there is an additional thrill; that of performing and interacting with audiences and meeting people in various cities.
How do you deal with malicious gossip?
I feel bad when wrong information gets circulated. No matter how much I deny these rumours, people will believe what they want to.
What do you think of the current lot of contestants on Indian Idol 2?
During our time we were unaware of how to conduct ourselves. We hadn't seen American Idol. We were encouraged by the judges and by the public who voted for us. On Indian Idol 2 the public seems to support everything except the quality of the singing. This is truly unfortunate. Votes are given for clothes and hairstyle. In our time the voting pattern was more sincere. Nowadays the number of sincere voters has decreased. Good singers are being voted out.
Do the contestants seek your advice?
Yes, they all came to my book launch. I gave advice to all of them. I told them that they are not rising to their potential. I'm disappointed by their performance. They are focussing on things other than singing. The sincerity and purity is
missing in their performances. The current contestants are over-confident and behave more like stage performers rather than singers. I remember I had very long hair during Indian Idol. Someone suggested a conditioner. I didn't even know what that was! We were briefed to focus on our singing rather than clothes and hairstyle. Whatever clothes I was given I'd blindly wear and face the camera.
