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The 'Challenge' hots up!

Sudipto Chattopadhyay
Monday, January 16, 2006 19:32 IST
The music contest 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge' on Zee is gearing up for the finals. The top slot is reserved for the three finalists - Hemchandra, Himani and Vineet as participant Debojit Saha will be ousted out this week.

Hemchandra states nervously, "I am hoping for a miracle. Everything depends on the public vote and my performance." He has already sung for composer Adesh Srivastav's forthcoming film 'Alag'. "Adeshji trained me to project my voice in the microphone and about the finer nuances of a public performance," says Hemchandra.

Himani, the most buoyant of the three, feels, "The boys will battle amongst themselves, while I will have to prove my individual worth." She is indebted both to Adesh and his wife Vijeta Pandit for having fine-tuned her talent. Himani has sung three numbers for the Sushmita Sen starrer 'Chingari' and has recorded a song each with composers Lalit, Raju Singh and Himesh Reshmaiyya. "I would like to do something for the illiterate in my hometown Faridabad if I win this contest," says the spirited girl.

Young Vineet, whom Kapil Dev fondly referred to as 'topiwala Tendulkar', gets candid, "Hemachandra and Himani are better singers than me." He is deeply indebted to mentor Reshmaiyya. "Whatever I am today is because of Himeshji. He helped me find my own voice. I used to mimic Rafi Saab and Sonu Nigam before." Vineet is nonchalant about failure or defeat, "I have achieved more than I ever dreamt of. I will be happy if I win, but even if I don't, I'm here in Mumbai for good."

http://dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1007830&CatID=7

Saloni ki Shaadi, Zee TV per iss Hafte
	Zee TV is leaving no stone unturned over the shaadi ceremony of its poster girl, Saloni, the lead character of one of the channel's most popular daily soaps, Saat Phere. The Rs 40 lakh plus wedding celebrations will be a week-long affair, in true north Indian wedding tradition, with episodes dedicated for each wedding custom. Keeping in line with Saloni's family's strong Rajasthani background, dancers from Jaipur will be performing the traditional ghumar and manjira dances, apart from the chari nritya (with steel pots) and the bhavai nritya (that has seven mots balanced on the head of the dancer as they dance on glass pieces). Neena Gupta as Manno bhabhi will after a long time (remember Choli ke peeche from Khalnayak) be performing to a medley of dance numbers like morni baga ma bole, reshmi salwar kurta jali ka and kajra mohabbat wala. And if Abhijeet Sawant and Prajakta Shukre performed at the shaadi of Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai's lead characters Angad and Kripa, Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa discoveries Vinit Singh and Himani will sing at Saloni's wedding. Haldi and mehendi ceremony on 17th February Sangeet on 18th February Baraat on 19th February Varmala on 20th February Pheras on 23rd February So don't miss the biggest marriage of Indian Television this week.

By Televisionpoint.com Team http://www.televisionpoint.com/tvgrapevine/view.php?id=11373 94025

Wrong Number



What the star gazers have to say about the winner...



Compiled by Sapana Patil



I have not seen a single episode of the show, so my prediction is based purely on numerology. According to numerology Himani Kapoor and Vinit Singh have the greatest probability of winning. That is because both are ruled by Venus, the planet of entertainment, music, love and peace. There is close competition between Vinit and Himani. Both stand an equal chance, although Vinit's chance is a shade stronger. Debojit Saha is a number 8 person. In fact, I fear for Debojit.


* "Himani and Vinit have the greatest possibility of winning"
- Sanjay B Jumaani Numerologist


Himani Kapoor's stars are not favourable in January, although it is so for Vinit Singh and Hemachandra. In February, the chances will only get better for the two. February could also bring better luck to Himani. Debojit Saha's stars are not favourable. He will be out for sure.


* "Debojit will be out for sure"
- Pandit Suvashit Raj Astrologer


source-
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=10&ar ticleid=1182006095846811820060655828

Walk-out

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 finalists walk out to protest against Debojit getting maximum votes. Is this yet another publicity stunt?

Kunal M Shah

More controversy hits Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge as the show reaches its climax. Shooting for Friday's episode came to a halt when three of the four finalists contestants Hema Chandra, Himani and Vinit staged a walk-out. Their protest was against the fourth contestant Debojit receiving the maximum number of votes.

"I don't know what to say. I never imagined that I would witness all this on my show," says producer-director Gajendra Singh. "The past weeks have been terrible. Suddenly everything seems to be happening on the show. I know that I am in trouble. This Friday's episode seems to be in jeopardy and I don't know how to solve the problem."

"I din't think the contestants would have the guts to stage a walk-out," he adds. "There is definitely some conspiracy going on and I have to find out who is responsible for it. We have have a meeting about this the whole night. I was taken by surprise on the show and yelled at the contestants on-camera. Now, I am figuring out what to do."

Debojit, who has been in the news for various reasons over the past few weeks, appears shell-shocked too, at the turn of events on Monday. "I don't know what to say. All this has been a nightmare for me," he says. "I thought all the other contestants were my friends... I am leading with the maximum number of votes and now they've all walked out. The audiences have had faith in me and I hope I continue to satisfy them in future with my work. I am a young guy and am working hard on my career."

It will be interesting to see what Gajendra Singh and his team do for the Friday's episode. Meanwhile, the three protesting contestants refuse to comment on the episode.

"I am in a meeting… I can not explain anything right now," says Vinit. Himani's mother is even more evasive. "Yes, I am Himani's mother, but I don't want to comment on this," she says. "Himani has gone out and I have no clue when she will be back." Hemachandra's reaction runs on the same lines too. "We can't talk about it yet, until final decisions are taken" she says.

Meanwhile, there's news that the three contestants also threatened to quit the show because they panicked at the alleged ULFA backing that Debojit is getting.

Debojit

"These contestants are kids, below 18 years of age," says Srivastava. "Naturally, their parents will be concerned. I don't blame them for offering to quit. Vinit's dad in Lucknow heard about the ULFA threat, so he didn't want his son to be part of any dangerous endeavour. In fact, I asked the kids why they did something as rash as offering to quit. They told me they were scared. They don't know how to manipulate votes from their home towns. The way things are shaping, Debojit will definitely win. But let's see where he goes after that."

The best way to solve this unsavory situation is to have professional singers and musicians, with some credibility judge from this point onwards. Obviously the public is being manipulated.

Sadhna in California

I watched the show yesterday in Canada where Ismail Darbar walked off the set. Some of the postings have enraged me - the ones that claim that the only reason for ID walkout was the fact that Nihira was voted out and he does not have enough sportsmanship to accept the decision. If you are blind, deaf and stupid enough to think that ID walked out *only because* Nihira was voted out then I don't know where to begin with you. Adesh Shrivastav is an A-hole and has been taunting ID and treating Nihira and Debojit unfairly for the longest time. There is only so much abuse a person can take (especially from a sore nobody like Adesh) and there is only so much injustice a person can tolerate- I support ID for walking out on an idiot like Adesh S and not putting up with his BS anymore. And then there is the shameless promotion of Vinit and his so called "real love" by his mentor Himesh - I think HR wants to keep vinit in the forefront just to stroke his own ego - he gave Himani and Hem less marks for flawless singing while gave his own contest a 10. I am glad someone is speaking up against injustice - Well done ID!!!

Sa Re Ga Ma saga deepens
	It was nothing less than the war of Mahabharata on the sets of Zee TV's mega talent hunt show Sa Re Ga Ms Pa in Mumbai on Monday. The 'singers' and 'music directors' were all out to kill each other. The last four finalists of the show, Challenge 2005 apparently had a huge fight on the sets while the shooting for the voting segment was on. A According to sources, everything was going on smoothly till there was an announcement about the results of the audience votes. As per the result, Debojit, who is representing north-eastern India, got the maximum number of votes and that infuriated the other three contestants Hemchandra, Himani and Vinit to such an extent that they started throwing tantrums saying that they wouldn't shoot. Debojit is the weakest of the lot when it comes to his singing range. So, the other three contestants obviously felt bad about it. They accused the management of foul play in the voting system and staged a walk out from the sets. One could have dismissed it as an act of immaturity on the part of the young singers had it not been that their mentors Ismail Darbar and Himesh Reshammiya who also came to a verbal fight over each others' disciples. Ismail Darbar was heard telling Vinit, "What do you think... you are a great singer and that Debojit doesn't even know how to sing... you are under a wrong impression..." An enraged Himesh Reshammiya then took up for his shagird. While Debojit belongs to Ismail's gharana, Vinit belongs to that of Himesh's. All this has made the show director Gajendra Singh totally stressed out as he still had to go ahead and shoot the episode in order to keep up with the telecast dates. Controversies are nothing new to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005. Recently, it was alleged the show's brand manager Ashish Golwalkar got a threatening call from one of the ULFA commanders from North-East saying that they wanted Debojit to win the contest and that there was discrimination in the voting system. Before this, there were numerous controversies on the sets, which saw music directors accusing each other of copying and knowing nothing about music etc. Till now, Adesh Shrivastava, Jatin Lalit and Himesh Reshammiya, all have made regular walk outs from the sets and the director's been hard at work to maintain peace between them. Neither the show's creator Gajendra Singh nor his team members were available for comment. But one thing is for sure, Challenge 2005 may have given the ratings to Zee TV, which has just surpassed Sony in the race, but at the same time, it has become a pain for them in terms of constant problems on the sets. However it all ends, one thing is for sure ­ Zee may think twice before announcing Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2006.

By Televisionpoint.com Team

http://www.televisionpoint.com/tvgrapevine/view.php?id=11375 63931

'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' contestant celebrates quiet birthday
By Subhash K. Jha, Mumbai: The popular 'topi-wala' contestant Vinit on "Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005" celebrated a quiet 17th birthday, away from his home in Lucknow and under the arc lights.

"It wasn't what I'd call a fun birthday... not in the way it used to be at home in Lucknow," says Vinit of his birthday Sunday.

"In the morning all of us 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' contestants went for the (Mumbai) Marathon run. Then I had to record for the show. So there was no time for any birthday celebrations. But in the night my colleague Himani got me a cake and we all had a party."

Though they are the same age, Himani mollycoddles Vinit and looks after him constantly. Vinit's mother was in Mumbai, but he was not allowed to meet her.

"There was no time to meet Ma... But yes, the love of my life was here... That was my gift. We have codenamed her Shantabai on 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'. So that no one gets to know her real identity," the streak of mischief surfaces in the baby of the show.

So how does it feel for Vinit - who many think will finally emerge the winner - to be 17?

"I feel this year has been a turning-point for me. I am just 17 and I am already known all over thanks to 'Sa Re Ga Ma'. I don't know how to handle all this attention."

Vinit, who has already recorded songs for Himesh Reshammiya, has now decided to make Mumbai his home... for better or worse.

"Until the finals on Feb 10, I can think of nothing except singing. And after the finals I can think of only... singing," he bursts out laughing.

http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=89541

Rumours and walkouts to satiate TRP hunger

Sa Re Ga Ma continues to be my only watchable show. After his favourite candidate Nihira Joshi was eliminated from the final rounds of Sa Re Ga Ma, judge Ismail Durbar walked off in a huff on- camera.

"It was a moment of great anguish for us. When Ismailji walked out we at Sa Re Ga Ma Pa felt as though the show would collapse. So close to the finals, I just didn't know what to do," says producer-director Gajendra Singh.

But now in a swift reversal of decision, the emotional music composer, has agreed to return to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

Speaking from Surat, Ismail says, "I'm very upset by the public's decision to oust Nihira. Everyone knows how beautifully she sings. I feel there's a conspiracy afoot to eliminate my other candidate Debojit. The other judges have deliberately given him less marks on this week's episode. That's when I decided there's no point in staying on. One genuine singer had already gone. Now they want to eliminate another genuine singer…I thought enough was enough…Can't we recognize quality when we hear it?"

"Look at how the public made Qazi Tauqeer (on Sony Entertainment's Fame Gurukul) win….It's a big slur to our musical heritage. Nihira according to me was the best among the 32 really good participants on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Everyone knows this…If she had won it would've been a victory for music…Just because Nihira can't wear revealing clothes or dance or camera, are these a crime? Did we ever see Lataji as anything but a goddess wrapped in a sari? When I recently recorded with Lataji for the first time last month, I had tears in my eyes. At 77 she still has so much passion. Nihira is walking in Lataji's footsteps," says Durbar.

Ismail doesn't agree when he's accused of favouring his own disciples on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. "Himani and Vinit aren't my students. But I've never been stingy with my compliments for them. All the kids have come with the same mission on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. That's why I gave away my dad's precious fifty-rupee note to Vinit who is Himesh Reshammiya's student. Vinit won me over when he took one difficult line from Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya within moments….Now they're trying to eliminate my other pupil Debojit. My fellow-judge Aadesh Shrivastava has always criticized him. The boy has struggled so much in Mumbai. And he has great voice. If we eliminate him for making a mistake in the singing then we'd have to get rid of all the contestants."

Ismail says he felt suffocated by the goings-on in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. "My heart is broken…I left Mumbai and came home to Surat. But, for the sake of the show I've decided to return to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa."

Let's see where the battle of the egos goes from here.

http://www.indiantelevision.com/special/boxpopuli/y2k6/jan/b oxpopuli3.htm