DC: TV is the way to stay in limelight

When an aspiring singer wins a talent hunt show, there are invariably tears of joy. The dream has been realised, the jackpot won, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is in view. The winners firmly believe that stardom is just a step away. Only to have their dreams dashed a few months later. Many have been forgotten, others are still struggling for that big break.

One of the few exceptions is Shreya Ghoshal. She didn't look back after winning the Sa Ra Ga Ma competition hosted by Sonu Nigam in the late '90s. Shreya broke into the industry as a playback singer with Devdas. Since then she has sung for nearly 180 films, performed on stage and captivated audiences at concerts. Though she has come a long way from the Sa Ra Ga Ma days, for Shreya, judging a talent hunt is like revisiting her past.

She is one of the judges on X Factor and will share the jury's platform with her senior Sonu and mentor Bhansali. "This show takes me to my old days when I gave my first performance on stage as a child. I lacked confidence and performing before eminent music composers and classical music maestros was a big dream and a very difficult job," she recalls. Going down memory lane she adds, "I had no idea about what to wear on stage. I couldn't even hold the mike properly."

Today of course Shreya is a different person. Talking about the show, Shreya says X Factor has some exceptional talent. "The show is about pure music and singing. But the scale is huge and stakes are high. The winner will be a mega star," she promises. Despite her confidence, Shreya admits that judging scares her. "It's a very responsible job and scary because while you are judging participants, the audience is constantly judging you," she says. But besides an emotional connect with talent hunts, Shreya candidly admits that the reason for her doing the show is money and fame. "Playback singers and composers are always in the background. TV shows are the best way to stay in the limelight," she admits. She doesn't think she will play second fiddle to her seniors. "I know I am the youngest. But we are mature individuals and respect each other's opinions," she says.

Will Ratan Rajput really tie the knot?
The time has come. Six months after the show was announced, Ratan Ka Rishta finally went on air this week. Ratan Rajput's search for her ideal man has begun and over the next few weeks she will be busy scanning prospective grooms, sifting the real from the fake and meeting them for one-on-one, heart-to-heart chats. Celebrities will walk into the show to provide support and help her arrive at the right decision.

But the million-buck question is: Will she really tie the knot? Ratan has promised that she is ready for marriage. But sources in Imagine (which is telecasting the show) are of the view that marriage is a very personal decision. "Contractual obligation specifies that she will marry only if her conditions about the kind of groom she is looking for are fulfilled. Nobody can force her to marry. The final decision is hers," they say. So will Ratan Ka Rishta go Rakhi Sawant's Swayamvar way, or will she impulsively settle for a mate like Rahul Mahajan did?