I am honest, not rude, says Annu Mallek

Sarcasm, rudeness and harsh comments seem to have become synonymous with singer Annu Mallek. No wonder he is considered the most horrendous judge at the biggest talent hunt show - 'Indian Idol'.

While the composer cum singer explains his stand by saying that €˜he says what he sees€™, he is quick to add that he would always support a good singer.

As the third season of €˜Indian Idol€™ progresses, Mallek continues judging the contestants in his same infamous style - 'being honest not rude'. In a candid chat he spoke about the kind of contestants he came across and the ways his comments were appreciated and respected and in some cases, considered rude and offensive.

"I would love to misguide contestants just for the sake of bringing a smile on their face but they have to accept that the competition is fierce. Believe me, people have benefited from my statements and for those who don€™t take my comments seriously, I cannot help it," says Mallek.

While contestants on the show do take Mallek€™s words quite seriously, the fear of being offended by a judge can also affect a contestants€™ performance. What does Mallek have to say about that? "Spoon feeding will not help the contestants. We are not here to make friends or enemies. I am a responsible judge and I am here to choose the best from a big lot. Just for the sake of being polite to someone, I cannot ruin their career. I never insulted any contestant. Rather I let them know the truth, which they often don€™t accept. People should draw a line of demarcation between rudeness and honesty in my comments," Mallek asserts.

"If I am shouting at them, it is because they don't sing well. If someone has sung badly and I say 'why don€™t you chill, relax and do something else', I don€™t see anything wrong in this. It€™s just a way to tell them where they stand," he adds. Mallek confirms that there have been cases when contestants with zero knowledge of music have come for auditions. "They think themselves to be rock stars, so they need to realize something called 'reality'. In such cases, we have to guide them, not misguide them, and stop them from doing the wrong things," he says.

Recalling the instance when a contestant€™s mother abused him for being rude towards her son in the auditions, Mallek shares, "I understand she was hurt but she should also understand that I am in the industry since last 28 years. Insulting a composer like me, who has worked with the likes of Lata Ji, Kishore Da, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan etc, she did not do the right thing. I€™ll always stand for a good singer and would always applaud a good performance, but if someone is non-deserving, I have to be honest and people call it being rude."

Stating that such bitter experiences are quite stressful, he adds, "I am also a father and can very well understand how it feels when your child is rejected but then it depends on person to person. There have been auditions where parents have thanked me even if I rejected their children, and the reason for this they feel is I showed them the right path."

But is such a harsh approach the only way to make the contestants realise where they stand? "Ok let me explain. If I tell a contestant that see you didn€™t sing well but it was not that bad also, so why don€™t you learn music for some five years and then again come for the auditions. After hearing such a comment from me, they see some light and start pursuing music as their career. Telling them calmly that keep on trying, your day would some soon, is like giving them wrong hopes. In such case, they trust my words to such an extent that they leave behind everything for something they don€™t even know about," says Mallek.

"It€™s better to be honest and straight forward and tell them that you cannot sing so please try your luck in some other field. When I say this, I mean that if not music you might excel in some other field." he adds.

Referring to various contestants in the third season of the show, Mallek went on to say: "There was a girl who kept on crying even before I said anything, as she said she already knew that she won€™t be selected. Then there was a Muslim guy who mentioned about worshipping Udit Narayan regularly. There was another one who shouted €˜I love Annu Mallek€™. I do understand their emotions and appreciate their dedication."