“As an Army officer’s son, I am a fighter”

Parleen has been a favourite among the girls and his performances were almost always superb. So, naturally, his elimination came as a shock to his fans. We spoke to Parleen soon after the show. Quite surprisingly, he came across as balanced and in full control of his emotions.

We are very sorry. Did you expect this?

I didn’t expect this at all. My performance was good, the judges had liked it, my manager and even the people on the sets had said it was good. This was totally unexpectedly, a total shock to me.

What went wrong?

At this moment, I am completely blank. I cannot think much. See, public voting has always been unpredictable, but the people around me said that in the last episode a lot of stress was laid on the public to vote for the girls. Maybe because of that a lot of votes went to the girls this time. As a result, one of the guys had to go and so I am the victim.

If not you, who could have been out today?

It is difficult to say anything. We thought it would surely be a girl even today. There were two girls in the bottom 3, but see what happened!

Did you expect to be among the Top 9?

Well, that is not something you can predict. I am a big fan of Abhijeet Sawant. I made up my mind to participate in Indian Idol 2 after I saw him win. In Indian Idol 2, I was among the top 50. After I was eliminated, I was even more determined to make it. I went for music training for a year in Ambala and this year, I made it to the Top 9. It is unbelievable; I think it is a great achievement for me.

Do you have any grudges against the janta?

From Top 28, the janta voted for me and got me into the Top 9. So how can I hold any grudges against them? Even if I was in the danger zone four times, it was because some people didn’t vote for me. But when I think of the loyal fans who voted and saved me until now, all I want to do is thank them from the bottom of my heart.

What are your future plans?

I would like to make a career in singing. But I would also like to keep my options open and take up whatever opportunity I get, whether it is in acting or modelling. Basically, I will struggle to make it big. My life starts now. It’s not the end; it’s just the beginning. I am from Ambala. I’ll go home now and meet my parents. But I will definitely come back to Mumbai with a bang!

People say your looks helped you come this far. Do you agree?

I know what people are saying, but I have sung tough songs like Ramta jogi. These are not easy to sing because they need a classical base to sing them. Also, when the Galas started, I had got hurt while shooting for Roobaroo. A camera fell on my head and I had to get stitches. For 10 days I couldn’t wash my hair and I looked awful with hair flowing like Jaadu! But I still sang and people voted for me.

Do you hold any grudges against the judges?

No, I want to thank each of the judges personally. Their comments were very encouraging. They’ve always inspired us to perform better—Anu Maliik and Javedji with their straightforward comments, Alisha with her smiling face, and Uditji with his sweet comments. I’ll miss everything related to Indian Idol.

Fans said they watched the show because of me!

It was a shock for Charu Semwal’s fans when she was voted out of Indian Idol. The girl herself couldn’t believe it and begged the judges to give her another chance. Here is an exclusive interview with the singer:

Was the elimination totally unexpected?

I never thought that I would be out. There was no time for us to even think about what was happening. Before I could grasp the situation, they declared I was out. I was shocked. I still am.

Do you hold any grudge against the janta?

It is their love and blessings that has helped me reach this far. I was among the Top 10 in Indian Idol. People know me today. I don’t think it was because of lack of votes that I got eliminated; I think my luck was not favourable.

When I returned to Dehradun, people received me with garlands and there was a huge crowd before my house. With the kind of love they’ve showered on me, how can I blame them for not voting for me?

What do you think went wrong? Do you feel you focused more on your appearance than your singing?

Not at all. I worked very hard on my singing. But as they say, 80 per cent is hard work and the rest is destiny. I think my luck was not in my favour. I never believed in this earlier. But now I do because I know I lost because of bad luck.

You mean you are satisfied with your performance?

No, I am not satisfied. If a singer is ever satisfied, he or she can never improve. I participated in Indian Idol so I could improve myself. I am satisfied that I did all that I could.

Moreover, I was ill most of the time. I never showed that on camera. I lost 6 kg while I was on the show. I visited the doctor many times and did my best to perform well. So I don’t have any regrets. I did my best till the end.

The judges criticised you in the last round. They were not satisfied with your performance.

The judges didn’t compare me with other contestants. My performance in the Piano Round was excellent. They were telling me that in the Galas I was not performing as well.

So what are your future plans?

I want to make singing my career. I have confidence thanks to my fans. When I was voted out, I met so many fans who told me they were watching the show because of me. They said they didn’t like Deepali, Puja or Ankita and that after my elimination they didn’t think any girl could become the next Indian Idol.

Many girls told me they voted for me regularly and it was because they loved my voice. I am determined to make a career in Mumbai now.

“My senior officers will decide my future”

Very rarely do you meet a policeman who can sing romantic songs. Indian Idol contestant Prashant Tamang, from Darjeeling, is a constable with Kolkata police who dreamt of becoming a singer. Though he never received any training, he listened to songs and picked up tunes. Once in the force, he joined its orchestra group and soon became popular.

Today, with the encouragement of his seniors and fellow constables, he is one of the 11 finalists of Indian Idol. Now, this soft-spoken policeman dreams of becoming a playback singer.

A singing policeman on the stage of Indian Idol. How did this happen?

I am a police constable. I joined Kolkata police force in 2002 and was in the special action force till 2006. At the end of 2006, an orchestra was formed within the department and I got a chance to perform in it. I gained a lot of confidence facing the audience there.

I never really watch Indian Idol, I never had the time. My seniors and colleagues encouraged me to participate and it is because of them that I am here today.

Despite being in special action force, did you secretly dream of becoming a singer?

Yes, I did dream of becoming a singer, but never thought it was possible. My father was in police and so my family expected me to become a policeman, too. But now I have the support of my colleagues.

Are you married? Or do you have a girlfriend?

No, I am not married. And I don’t have a girlfriend yet.

How do you rate your chances of winning the title?

Every contestant here is talented, some of them much more than me. I can win only if I perform really well. I want to request the janta to vote for the best singers. True talent should come up. India needs good singers and the deserving one should get the votes.

I don’t want to leave my friends behind just to climb the ladder. They’re like my family now. It makes me sad when anyone is eliminated.

Will you give up your job if you win the title?

If I win the title, I will do is talk to my seniors in the force and consult them about what to do. I’ve to get their permission. Of course, I dream of becoming a playback singer, but at the moment there are tough decisions to be taken.

I cannot leave the police force. It is because of them that I am here today. We’ll just have to see what happens later.

Which music directors do you dream of working with?

My favourite music directors are Jatin Lalit. If I win, and get a chance to sing for them, it will be a dream come true.

Who is your favourite judge and why?

Anu Maliik. He is very straightforward and says what is right, on your face. I don’t feel bad about it—it is important that we know our flaws at this stage.

Why are the performances a little low key in the Galas?

Yes, I agree the performances are not up to the mark. I guess we all are very tense and under pressure. Performances will definitely be better this week. I am trying hard to improve my performance.

You looked good in your suit. Are you concentrating on grooming yourself?

If we look good, we will become popular and thus get more votes. That is the only reason for my interest in designer clothes. Now that we have designers working for us, I would definitely like to take advantage of the opportunity.

Any message for your fans?

I am the first Nepali to be on this stage. I am sure my achievement is a matter of pride for the whole Nepali community across the world.

“Designer dresses and latke jhatke are secondary”

Puja Chatterjee, one of the most talented singers on Indian Idol started singing at the tender age of four. A student of the singer Ajay Chakraborty from Kolkata, her control over her voice and rhythm is outstanding. She won many local and national talent hunt competitions till date. Though she stays in a boarding school at Indore, where there is no TV, her parents heard about Indian Idol and enrolled her for the auditions. Since then there has been no looking back for this powerhouse of talent.

What are your chances of winning the title among the other contestants?

I have been learning music since I was four. As a result, I can say I am the senior among the other contestants. [Laughs]. Here, most of the singers have either just started learning or have been training for the last six months or a year.

Of course, it doesn’t mean I’m the best. But I am more experienced and I concentrate more on my singing. My expression of a song is the best among others and I hope the audiences are noticing the difference. Honestly, I do believe I should become the next Indian Idol.

How important do you think good looks and on-stage presentation are?

I don’t pay much attention to my presentation on stage. For me perfection of singing and holding the right tune and rhythm is the single most important thing. I believe that one should understand the lyrics of the song and sing it with feeling; performance will shape up automatically. Dancing doesn’t work when you’re off key. I just pay attention to my expressions and my overall performance is enhanced by it.

What is your ambition? Who do you idolise when it comes to singing?

I wish to become a versatile playback singer and work with all the music directors in the industry. I don’t want to take a single name like A R Rahman or Anuji… my ambition is to work with everyone. They all have different styles of presenting their music.

I idolise Lataji, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle.

Your performance in the first Gala was a let down. Were you very upset?

It happens. No singer can perform without faltering. If you remember, Javedji said that Sachin can’t make a century in every innings. Sometimes he gets out for zero, too. I scored a zero in the first Gala, but the next one will be a century for sure. And I’ll make sure I keep on hitting centuries.

In case you don’t make it to the Top 5, will you go back to Dhanbad?

In case my journey ends here, it won’t be the end of the world. This is not my only aim—I want to be a playback singer. I’ll definitely come back to Mumbai. I am sure many music directors are watching the show and have noticed my talent. Indian Idol has given me the platform I wanted. Now I’ve to leap higher. I will approach the music directors, knock on their doors. I’ll struggle like other singers.