Daijiworld News Network [With input from Sifymax]
April 5: As the Indian Idol 2 talent-hunt approaches its grand finale, the two finalists - N C Karunya and Sandeep Acharya - are upbeat about their chances of winning the coveted title.
A crore rupee of prize money with a one-year musical contract with Sony TV will be the treasure of the winner.
The TV audience in not only India but even abroad are going crazy behind the realty show 'Indian Idol - 2'
Credibility at a premium
At the same time there has been almost a national-level debate on the selection pattern of the reality shows. On the one hand, there was that shocking episode of the judges Anu Malik, Farah Khan and Sonu Nigam walking out of the show protesting over the elimination of a certain talented artiste with their decision being overruled by the phone-in voting.
On the other hand, the credibility of voting is in question. And it is not without basis. The nation's voting can be influenced and certainly manipulated. Any contestant or his lobby can financially sponsor the SMS's from across the country and tilt the balance in his favour. This is a serious matter that has to be taken into account by the TV channels.
Further, if the phone-in ballot rules the show, what are the judges there for? No wonder Anu Malik came out with a biting remark which almost sounded like the judges were made to look like fools. It is a different matter if some cynics feel that even the protest walk-out was stage-managed so as to boost the hype of the show.
At the end of it all, there are even more cynics who insist that most Indians who have already become addicted to the idiot box and turned into couch potatoes are now become 'Indian Idles' under the influence of 'Indian Idol'.
As two considered the best have reached the finals through the public vote, let's hear what the contestants say.
Name: N C Karunya
Date of Birth: March 1, 1986
Place of Birth: Hyderabad
Currently Residing in: Hyderabad
Education: B-Tech (Third Year) in Electronics & Communications
Family: Father, Mother & Younger Sister
Karunya says "I am very confident about myself. But being confident isn't enough. I also need public support.
Do people really say I'll be the Indian Idol? There's a lot of difference between what's said and the voting pattern.
Why, I don't know. Yes, I know the judges love me. I am very thankful to them. No matter what the results would be, I intend to pursue a career in singing in Mumbai.
I gave up my engineering and came from Hyderabad only to become an Indian Idol not to be the first or second runner-up. But if I don't win the title, I won't lose confidence. I'll think God has bigger plans for me.
Fan following? It's suddenly on me and I have no choice but to deal with it. It does feel nice. But the attention embarrasses me. I wonder what my parents back home in Hyderabad would be thinking."
Name: Sandeep Acharya
Date of Birth: February 4, 1984
Place of Birth: Bikaner
Currently Residing in: Bikaner
Education: Bachelor of Science
Family: Father, Mother, 2 Sisters & a Brother
Sandeep says "Yes, I am nervous about the outcome. But the stress to perform isn't that much any longer. I know I have made it to the top three. I am doing my best. I consider the competition to be really tough.
I am from Bikaner and have been struggling in Mumbai for three years. My aim is to be a playback singer. My struggle to sing well will continue even after Indian Idol."
Anuj Says Bye to Indian Idol 2
rediff News
April 4 is a sad day for Anuj Sharma, who has been voted out of Indian Idol 2. It leaves viewers with just two candidates to choose from -- Karunya N C from Hyderabad and Sandeep Acharya from Bikaner.
We spent a few hours on the sets of the show this morning. And it was a touching experience. Karunya's name was called out as the bottom two of the three. Everybody felt bad, the audience screaming in protest. He was asked to sing a song just in case he didn't make it to the final three. Knowing it could be his last performance, he picked Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Piya re Piya re. Like most of his previous performances, it was superb.
The suspense then started to build. Anuj being dropped wasn't exactly a surprise, considering he was in the bottom two a week ago as well. Farah Khan had even said, at the time, that his reaching the top three was surprising.
When it was announced that Anuj was in the bottom two, he was upset, but didn't show it much. He too was also asked to sing a song, and he picked Chala Jaata Hoon Kisi Ki Dhun Mein from Mere Jeevan Saathi. It wasn't as good as Karunya's performance.
Later, after arguments between judges and the host on different issues, Anuj's exit was announced. He struggled to hold back his tears, but failed. He said he wanted to sing one last song for the audience and his friends, but he couldn't manage for a while, choked as he was by emotion. When he finally sang Hum Hain Iss Pal Yahan from Kisna, his fellow finalists joined him, holding each other tight.
After the show, Sonu Nigam voiced his opinion. "I was worried about Karunya and thought he would be dropped. When I go on outdoor assignments, people tell me they agree with our decisions, but that is not shown in the voting results, which is shocking. We always thought Karunya, Amey and Sandeep would be in the final three, but Amey was dropped. So, you never know."
On Anuj being voted out, Farah Khan said, "I think he is a sweet boy and he has been lucky. Even though he was out in the piano round, we brought him back. He shouldn't react bitterly. In fact, he should learn from this and improve."
"None of the girls made it to the final three. I was expecting at least one. Being men, we would want girls to sing in front of us," added Nigam, laughing. "But, jokes apart, I think it's a chauvinist society. Even girls don't vote for girls." Speaking on the same issue, Anu Malik said, "I felt very bad that all the women were voted out. I think women are the best thing to happen to the world. They are better in so many ways, and are focused. Why shouldn't they be Indian Idols?"
Farah and Anu also felt that people have already decided who the next Indian Idol will be. They maintained that this made them feel relieved.