| 3 cheers for young guns |
Sanchita, Diwakar and Sameer. These are golden voices that have won millions of hearts across the country. Finishing as finalists, at the recently concluded Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs contest on Zee TV, has opened new vistas for these budding singers, says Gauri Kohli |
They came and they conquered. These young singing sensations are the latest blessing for the Indian music industry. Winning millions of hearts is no mean feat and that too if you are just 14, 12 and 11 years old respectively. In a nail-biting mega final contest, of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs on Zee TV, at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai these three youngsters: Sanchita, Diwakar and Sameer performed live before an audience of over 12,000 including big names in this field like Abhijeet, Alka Yagnik, Shaan and Bappi Lahiri and celebrities from other fields. Little Champs, has allowed these three to live a life they always dreamt of.
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For Sanchita Banerjee, it was always a smooth ride but she thought it was all over when the final results were announced. "I thought I had lost as I somehow missed the announcement of the final results due to excessive noise. I was crying right through, not in happiness, but because I was feeling bad. It was only after a few minutes that I realised I am the winner," she says.
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Hailing from Howrah, this Bengali singer was always among the favourites to win. A unique and versatile voice and the ability to sing all kinds of songs is what makes her stand apart from her competitors. Whether it is a sad melody, a fast number or a folk song, you name it and the melodious voice will emanate. Scoring well in all areas, singing, voice quality and performance, Sanchita proved way ahead of others. What was more surprising for her was the fact that despite being third on the basis of zonal vote results, she surprised everyone including herself when she clinched the top spot.
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For runner-up Diwakar Sharma from the Capital, singing is something he has been in love with since childhood. "I feel I was meant to benefit from this wonderful platform and that is why I went al the way to Mumbai to give the auditions for the show even when I missed the Delhi round."
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Beside grooming him into a very good singer, it has also taught this young wise man the importance of consistency. He appeared equally calm and composed when he was praised as well as criticised. "I was upset when I was eliminated earlier, but was determined to make a comeback as I have full faith in my ability," he says. Missing the zenith by a whisker did make him upset though but it was far too difficult to make him lose his focus.
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Not to forget, the naughty and shrewd boy (as he was called by the judges on the show) from Mumbai, Sameer Mohammad. "I learnt a lot on the show and was well guided by the judges. I love old songs and my all-time favourite singers are Lataji, Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi," he says.
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Channel heads however, did not expect the show to reach where it has. "Little Champs was a logical extension of the main show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. This time the scale was larger than expected. It is a great achievement to have come up with an equally popular show as we have done earlier," says Zee Tv senior VP marketing, Tarun Mehra.
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But the brain behind the concept is a veteran of reality shows. "Looking at my past experience, I feel, children are the best in terms of focus, talent and performance. I was apprehensive about the response but was confident at the same time," says the producer and director of the show, Gajjendra Siingh.
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Sanchita, the winner will get a scholarship from Kidzee worth Rs 15 lakh while the other two will win Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively.
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| These four gruelling months have finally borne fruit for these soon-to-be playback singers in the film industry. All we need to do is wait and listen. |
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