Amey date: Nothing to Lose (Hindustan Tim

anonmember thumbnail
21st Anniversary Thumbnail Sparkler Thumbnail Engager Level 1 Thumbnail
Posted: 19 years ago
#1
Abhijeet Sawant became rich and famous after winning the first Indian Idol contest. From charging a measly Rs 2,500 per show, he now gets a fat fee of Rs 5 lakhs and above. From an average two-bedroom flat in Mahim, he's moved to a five-bedroom plush apartment in the posh Vile Parle area. But what about the ones who didn't make it? The losers?
All hopes of realising their dreams splintered when they were eliminated from the contest. Do the losers just melt back into the anonymous crowd they came from? Or does the very act of participating in a talent hunt bring dividends?
Well, the jury is divided on that one.
Delhi-based fashion designer Dimple Anand decided to participate in Channel [V]'s Get Gorgeous competition, a contest her "broad-minded" dad wanted her to win. She was considered a hot contestant – but the judges thought otherwise. Though she says she was "shocked" at her ouster, she resolutely looks at the brighter side.
"It's not always that you get to participate in a contest like this. At least I reached a certain level. What about those who got eliminated in the initial stages?" she asks. For Dimple, the contest meant much more than a stage to win a title. "It is more in the nature of a training ground. It prepares you for the rough world outside your secure domain. It helps in overall personality growth." But it doesn't seem to have helped Dimple much. She's back to fashion designing, and modelling continues to mean nothing more than occasional assignments.
But Amey Date, a 27-year-old singer and Indian Idol contestant, can't forget the bitter taste of failure. "Of course these hunts are a great platform, but failure always hurts. And if you know that you are good and even the judges agree, you naturally feel terrible not making it." For Amey, who comes from a broken home, it was important to win the contest – if only to fulfil his mother's dream that he become a big singer.
Kolkata's Raktima Mukherjee, a Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contestant, makes no bones about her feelings. "I never thought I could lose out so early. I had been a consistent performer and yet I had to go. It was all because of the internal politics and the voting system. I don't know why it was introduced in the first place. I also felt that some contestants were favoured and the others were neglected." Sour grapes? Or a genuine gripe?
Kolkata boy Prasanjit Biswas, who participated A bhijeet Sawant became rich and famous after winning the first Indian Idol contest. From charging a measly Rs 2,500 per show, he now gets a fat fee of Rs 5 lakhs and above. From an average two-bedroom flat in Mahim, he's moved to a five-bedroom plush apartment in the posh Vile Parle area. But what about the ones who didn't make it? The losers?
All hopes of realising their dreams splintered when they were eliminated from the contest. Do the losers just melt back into the anonymous crowd they came from? Or does the very act of participating in a talent hunt bring dividends?
Well, the jury is divided on that one.
Delhi-based fashion designer Dimple Anand decided to participate in Channel [V]'s Get Gorgeous competition, a contest her "broad-minded" dad wanted her to win. She was considered a hot contestant – but the judges thought otherwise. Though she says she was "shocked" at her ouster, she resolutely looks at the brighter side.
"It's not always that you get to participate in a contest like this. At least I reached a certain level. What about those who got eliminated in the initial stages?" she asks. For Dimple, the contest meant much more than a stage to win a title. "It is more in the nature of a training ground. It prepares you for the rough world outside your secure domain. It helps in overall personality growth." But it doesn't seem to have helped Dimple much. She's back to fashion designing, and modelling continues to mean nothing more than occasional assignments.
But Amey Date, a 27-year-old singer and Indian Idol contestant, can't forget the bitter taste of failure. "Of course these hunts are a great platform, but failure always hurts. And if you know that you are good and even the judges agree, you naturally feel terrible not making it." For Amey, who comes from a broken home, it was important to win the contest – if only to fulfil his mother's dream that he become a big singer.
Kolkata's Raktima Mukherjee, a Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contestant, makes no bones about her feelings. "I never thought I could lose out so early. I had been a consistent performer and yet I had to go. It was all because of the internal politics and the voting system. I don't know why it was introduced in the first place. I also felt that some contestants were favoured and the others were neglected." Sour grapes? Or a genuine gripe?
Kolkata boy Prasanjit Biswas, who participated A bhijeet Sawant became rich and famous after winning the first Indian Idol contest. From charging a measly Rs 2,500 per show, he now gets a fat fee of Rs 5 lakhs and above. From an average two-bedroom flat in Mahim, he's moved to a five-bedroom plush apartment in the posh Vile Parle area. But what about the ones who didn't make it? The losers?
All hopes of realising their dreams splintered when they were eliminated from the contest. Do the losers just melt back into the anonymous crowd they came from? Or does the very act of participating in a talent hunt bring dividends?
Well, the jury is divided on that one.
Delhi-based fashion designer Dimple Anand decided to participate in Channel [V]'s Get Gorgeous competition, a contest her "broad-minded" dad wanted her to win. She was considered a hot contestant – but the judges thought otherwise. Though she says she was "shocked" at her ouster, she resolutely looks at the brighter side.
"It's not always that you get to participate in a contest like this. At least I reached a certain level. What about those who got eliminated in the initial stages?" she asks. For Dimple, the contest meant much more than a stage to win a title. "It is more in the nature of a training ground. It prepares you for the rough world outside your secure domain. It helps in overall personality growth." But it doesn't seem to have helped Dimple much. She's back to fashion designing, and modelling continues to mean nothing more than occasional assignments.
But Amey Date, a 27-year-old singer and Indian Idol contestant, can't forget the bitter taste of failure. "Of course these hunts are a great platform, but failure always hurts. And if you know that you are good and even the judges agree, you naturally feel terrible not making it." For Amey, who comes from a broken home, it was important to win the contest – if only to fulfil his mother's dream that he become a big singer.
Kolkata's Raktima Mukherjee, a Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contestant, makes no bones about her feelings. "I never thought I could lose out so early. I had been a consistent performer and yet I had to go. It was all because of the internal politics and the voting system. I don't know why it was introduced in the first place. I also felt that some contestants were favoured and the others were neglected." Sour grapes? Or a genuine gripe?
Kolkata boy Prasanjit Biswas, who participated

in the dance hunt Kaboom (Star Plus), agrees. "My elimination was a shocker. Everybody told me that I had the potential to win but I lost because of some votes," he says.

But it isn't always the votes that do the damage. For 19-year-old Vinita Punn who participated in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and was a hot favourite of music composer Ismail Darbar, it was the judges who got her out in spite of some good performances. Her ouster left her mentor Darbar exasperated and upset. "I don't know what went wrong. I had not expected to lose when I did and it definitely came as a shock," says Vinita. Darbar was nearly in tears when she walked out and his bitterness came across clearly. "Talent is very hard to find and people don't know how to appreciate it," he was quoted as saying. Vinita lost a college year as she was in Mumbai for the show for nearly eight months. Her father gave up his job to support her in her musical career. But both seem to have taken the failure in their stride.

"The hunt helped me showcase my talent so well that people recognise me now," says Vinita. "Earlier, I would do some small-time local shows or performances in family and neighbourhood functions for paltry amounts. Today, the shows are much bigger. I get to perform with established artistes like Ismail Darbar and Himesh Reshammiya even internationally. I have made a name for myself. Besides, the money is much better now." Sixteen-year-old Sharib came from Jaipur to make it big in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. This was the way he'd prove his worth to his parents, he thought. "I was a complete vagabond. No studies, nothing. Singing was the only thing that had me hooked," he says. And so, in spite of losing, he's decided to stay back in Mumbai and make a career in films. "Talent hunts make the industry big gies far more accessible," he points out. "I may have lost the contest, but at least now people are willing to listen to me. The music directors who, in other circumstances, wouldn't have even looked at us, today stop and give us a patient hearing." This is why most contestants claim they may feel bad being humiliated by the judges but they're ready to accept the harsh comments because they're simply too overawed by them. "They are our icons, we grew up listening to and looking at them. Finally, if they say something, it just may be true. In fact, criticism from them, even if it's unkind, just motivates us to work towards changing their opinion," says Amey earnestly.
Music contests may still bring returns to failed participants. But what of other talent hunts? Prasanjit Biswas is back in his modest dwelling in a Kolkata suburb. "There has been no appreciation after the contest," he says bitterly. "Actually, why just me? Not even the winner got his due credit. I had big dreams. I thought this contest would help me realise my dreams but nothing happened. There is no work. People recognise me but it ends there. I feel it's because I didn't have the looks. The industry gives more importance to packaging than talent. It has been a bitter experience. I don't think I will ever participate in a contest like this again." Amey, Dimple and Vinita, may have moved on but the likes of Raktima and Prasanjit will take some time to figure out why things went wrong. Channel responsibility, how far does it go? DEEPAK SEHGAL, Executive VP, Content, Star India Pvt Ltd "The channels simply provide a platform for showcasing one's talent in front of crores of people. The participants are aware that there can be only one winner. If you don't make it to the top, maybe you did not have it in you to be the winner. Besides, each person has to carve his/her own destiny. Even the winner of a contest moves on once the contract period is over." NINA JAIPURIA, VP, Marketing and Communication, Sony "It is unfair to say that channels don't bother about the losers. In fact, most of our contestants have got a chance to perform at programmes organised by us. Also, we have cut albums with most of the finalists of Indian Idol." Amey Date Lost: Indian Idol "TALENT HUNTS ARE A GREAT PLATFORM BUT FAILURE ALWAYS HURTS. AND IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOOD AND THE JUDGES AGREE WITH YOU, YOU FEEL TERRIBLE NOT MAKING IT" Dimple Anand Lost: Get Gorgeous "SHOWS LIKE THESE ARE IN THE NATURE OF TRAINING GROUNDS. THEY PREPARE YOU FOR THE ROUGH WORLD OUTSIDE YOUR SECURE DOMAIN. THEY HELP IN YOUR OVERALL PERSONALITY GROWTH "




Created

Last reply

Replies

3

Views

1k

Users

4

Frequent Posters

Tani91 thumbnail
21st Anniversary Thumbnail Stunner Thumbnail + 6
Posted: 19 years ago
#2
THANKS BUDDY
WOw glad to know that my jaanu is still popular! 😳
mango-frost thumbnail
20th Anniversary Thumbnail Stunner Thumbnail + 2
Posted: 19 years ago
#3

Originally posted by: Tani91

THANKS BUDDY
WOw glad to know that my jaanu is still popular! 😳

correction: megha's jaanu😳

and.....koi shak??? obviously he's amey....

baccha... he aint going newhere 😛

thanks sonya !!!!!

nibbler thumbnail
20th Anniversary Thumbnail Rocker Thumbnail Engager Level 1 Thumbnail
Posted: 19 years ago
#4

Originally posted by: srk_lover

correction: megha's jaanu😳

and.....koi shak??? obviously he's amey....

baccha... he aint going newhere 😛

thanks sonya !!!!!

😆😆caramello u r funny.....😆😆

thanks a lot sonya..👏

Related Topics

Top

Stay Connected with IndiaForums!

Be the first to know about the latest news, updates, and exclusive content.

Add to Home Screen!

Install this web app on your iPhone for the best experience. It's easy, just tap and then "Add to Home Screen".