One bullet may not have hit the bull’s-eye, but Priyanka is not daunted. The never-say-die gal knows her goal and she is determined to hit the target sooner than later. After all, once she realised she could sing (just last year), she worked hard enough to qualify in the Top 14 of Indian idol. No mean feat, that. We talk to Priyanka on her journey so far and what she plans to do now.

How did you feel when your name was announced?

My reaction was completely mixed. I was laughing, I was crying, I was confused. I was not expecting this at all. But I''m not feeling as bad as I expected to because ab kuch bhi ho raha hain. Sab tiik nahin ho raha hai. So I was prepared for anything.

Do you feel your last performance let you down?

My performance was good. My voice trainer and my fellow contestants thought I performed well. But maybe the judges expected much more from me, so they were not completely happy.

But I don''t know what to make of this result. From the piano round to the galas, I''ve never been in the bottom. And now, the first time I am in the bottom, to be eliminated, it is a big shock. After all, there were others who performed worse than me. However, I am happy that I am leaving the show after giving a great performance. I would have felt worse had I been voted out after a bad performance.

Do you think any of the remaining girls have what it takes to win the title?

I think even I have what it takes to be the next Indian Idol. But the people did not give me a chance. And they may not give the remaining three girls a chance either.

The judges, who are such big names in their fields, are asking the people to give the girls a chance. And if the janta will not listen to them, then how will they listen to me? It is a fact that if the girls get one vote, the boys are getting 15. There is nothing that we can do to change the trend.

Who do you see in the Top 5?

I see Rajdeep, Prasenjit and Kapil. I would also like to take the names of two girls, but I don''t think the janta will let them get so far. I mean, Bhavya sang so well last time and yet she was with me in the bottom two. And, as everyone knows, it was not her first time in the bottom.

Public voting or judges'' decision—what should the show follow?

[Laughs] I think everyone will have a different point of view depending on which group they belong to. If you ask the eliminated contestants they will definitely say that the judges'' decision should count. But if you ask the contestants who are safe, they will definitely say that we should continue to listen to the janta. I personally feel that we should give the judges a say because they are the ones who can judge us truly.

How has the journey been so far?

Awesome. This was a dream I started seeing last year. It was only after I came on Indian Idol that I realised I could sing. And when I was eliminated in the theatre round last year I was determined to come back and do good on Indian Idol and no other show. So I started learning music.

I am also very thankful to my dad for letting me follow my dream. I am doing my honours at Lady Sriram College and my dad wanted me to go very far in my studies, but when I told him I wanted to sing he immediately shifted gears and sided with me.

What do you plan to do now?

I will never accept defeat. I''ll do shows. I will make the most of the platform that Indian Idol has given me. I will continue my music training and I will make a name for myself.