Himesh outshines ID in promoting protégé

It's three weeks for the finale of the show that has had more than its share of tantrums, walkouts and breakdowns. Yet, Debojit and Vineet seem to have survived the storm. The show is now poised at a point where nerve wracking three weeks of tension and assorted judges await the finalist duo.

At the Famous studio in central Mumbai on Monday evening, judges Bhumika Chawla, music composer Pritam, singers Shantanu and Sandesh too played it safe by giving full marks to both the contestants and leaving the choice to the viewers to send their votes to choose the final winner.

On stage, Himesh went overboard promoting Vineet, while Ismail added a few remarks here and there. However, Ismail was largely diplomatic. Was this mild behaviour inspired by his earlier irate attempts at quitting the show midway?

The two finalists, however, present a diverse picture. Debojit comes across as a seasoned person answering questions with tact and diplomacy, while Vineet has this raw charm about him.

Vineet has no qualms about his fresh voice, which in fact is probably working to

his advantage. The 17 year old was pretty playful and humming tunes even while answering questions by scribes present at the shoot. The Lucknow lad has just completed his first year of college and loves to play cricket and video games. 'Topiwala Vineet' as he is fondly called by viewers, says his trademark cap gifted by guru Himesh is his lucky charm and he always wears it on the show. Vineet has recorded a song for Reshammiya.

"I don't feel threatened by the number of votes Debojit is getting. I am very secure internally because my mentor believes in me and I know with his support I will reach the stars," Vineet said.

If one counts the number of votes Vineet is getting from all over India, minus the votes from Assam, he is way ahead of Debojit in terms of numbers. However, the reality show being a numbers game now, we will have to wait and watch who takes the cake.

Vineet's father Tej Narayan Singh who was sitting in the audience, was sporting a similar black cap. He was intently watching the show and was thoughtful as we asked him questions about the chances of his son winning. "I am very happy that my son who is still in his teens has come so far. He is still young and he has many milestones to achieve. I wish him all the best and hope the best among the two wins."

Debojit's wife Bandana said, "We came to Mumbai two years ago to pursue our respective dreams. Debo gave up his full time job as a Civil Engineer in Assam to pursue music in Mumbai. I hope he wins."