| | | Alisha Chinai and Udit Narayan | Indian Idol 3 will not only have new hosts but a new set of judges as well. After Sonu Niigaam and Farah Khan declined from judging the reality show this year, Sony has finally zeroed in on two new names — Alisha Chinai and Udit Narayan — to select the next Indian Idol. Anu Malik will continue on as the third judge.
Leading the pack
Confirming this development, Sony's creative head Sandiip Sikcand says, "We are excited to have Udit and Alisha on our show.
The reason we chose them is because of their mastery in music and the extensive work they have done over the years. With these three names, we cover the entire spectrum of the music world." Talking about the judges, Sandiip says, "Alisha has proven her versatility as a singer time and again, so we thought she would be terrific for the show.
Similarly, Udit has a string of hits to his name and is looked up as one of the leading playback singers in India. And finally, with Anu, we have an established music director on the panel."
When asked how different the new season will be from the previous two, he says, "The tag line this year is Indian Idol — Bharat Ki Shaan. We are looking at a singer who can demonstrate variety and sing any kind of a song.
He or she should be able to sing a Lata Mangeshkar number as well the latest chartbuster from Sunidhi Chauhan. This time, we are stressing more on the voice and the depth the singer can show."
Big promises
Calling this the biggest Idol season the channel has produced, Sikcand says, "Indian Idol 3 is going to be huge, not just in terms of infrastructure and setting, but also in the wide audience reach. We are going to 12 cities this year, which is the maximum we have ever been."
When asked if the X-factor will still be a big criteria for choosing the winner, he adds, "The focus will be on the voice. We already have Fame X that takes care of the X factor." Indian Idol 3 is expected to go on air in the first week of June. |
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