“Indian Idol is a turning point in Meiyang’s life”

“I’ve never seen him so driven,” said Gaichen Chang, Meiyang Chang’s mother. She runs a beauty parlour in Dhanbad. Meiyang’s father is a dentist and the reason why Meiyang never thought twice before joining the college of dentistry.

So when did a career in music come into the picture? Gaichen smiled and said she had never known Meiyang was serious about a career in music, till Indian Idol happened.

“You can say that Indian Idol is a turning point in Meiyang’s life,” she said. Meiyang had gone to Bangalore to take the MDS entrance, but then he called up to tell his parents that he had cleared the audition for Indian Idol. “We were surprised. We had seen the show earlier, but had never had a clue about how big it was,” she said. “The people in Dhanbad are praying for Meiyang. He is a hero there.”

Meiyang has always been multi-talented. He was a good painter in school. In college, he used to participate in music competitions and has won many prizes. Surprisingly, he never received any training in music. Gaichen had thought music was a passing phase for him. At Dhanbad, a music career was no career at all, and shifting to Mumbai was never an option. “But we’ll support him in everything he does. We want him to make the best of whatever he wants to do,” his mother said.

Meiyang has got a surprisingly huge fan following through the show. And it is not just because of his singing; his looks contributed to it as well. It seems he gets more votes from girls than from guys. Geichang smiled when she heard about it. So, does he have a girl friend? She shook her head: “Not as far as I know.” But then if the girls keep chasing him, who knows?

What are his chances of winning? According to his mother, the contenders are quite strong. Charu and Deepali are very talented. But Meiyang is also among the best in the show. “Whatever the audiences decide, we’ll take it sportingly,” she said. “He should make the best of whatever God has given him.”

“I’ve lost my faith in public voting”

Bhavin Dhanak was undoubtedly one of the most talented singers in Indian Idol. His exit from the show left everyone shocked. But the guy himself is quite unshaken.

After his vote out, we found him sitting in the green room. Dressed in a blue striped shirt and cream trousers, he looked relaxed and, surprisingly, upbeat. When we asked him about his shocking elimination, he said with a sad smile: “Public voting se bharosa uth gaya hain.”

Does he know why it happened? He said it could have been because he did not have a lively personality like Emon or Chang. Everyone noticed him only in the Piano Round. Although his performances were flawless (and he got amazing support and appreciation from the judges), the audiences remained oblivious to his potential. But this was not the end, he said.

So, what were his plans—going back to Dubai? No, he said, he has decided to stay back and fight it out—the mark of a truly passionate singer. So who was his idol? He said he would die to work with A R Rahman. But at the moment his aim was to return as a ‘Wild Card’ entry. “Let’s see if I make it. If I don’t, I’ll go and knock on the doors of all the music directors,” said the 23-year-old.

Would he consider doing stage shows? Yes, he said, it is a good way to meet your daily expenses. After all, staying in Mumbai by yourself is tough. Did he have any regrets? Bhavin looked sure when he said he did not want to change a thing. He was satisfied with his performance, but the next time, he said he would make sure that even the janta sat up and cheered.

“I’ll go back to living a normal life”

It’s hard to believe that Suhit has never got any training in music. His lively voice, electric moves, immense stage presence and oodles of X factor had made him one of the most promising contestants on this year’s Indian Idol. But when the time came for selecting the Top 10, the janta and the judges voted him out. But why?

We met Suhit in the green room, right after his elimination. He looked down and out. “I was never meant for a music career,” he said. Does he feel so because of a single rejection? After all, there will be many other chances.

Suhit wants to do his MBA, and, most probably, rock the IT industry. He never thought he would make it to the Top 12. Music was never his agenda. In a way, he surprised himself. So why is he upset now?

“Well, as I started going up the ladder, I took it as a challenge. It always hurts when you’re rejected,” he said. “The judges discarded me. That’s when I lost the game. But there is a second chance. Let’s see then.”

But one achievement he cannot deny is the female fan following he has across the country today. He smiled and said, “Well, I don’t know about any girls being crazy about me, never came across one.” That’s being modest, isn’t it Suhit?

"I walked out like an Indian Idol"

Ankita Mishra is a fiery performer—she sizzles, rocks and gets the audience on their feet. Little wonder then that an eminent lyricist like Javed Akhtar couldn’t help but come onto the stage to dance with her.

But if she was, indeed, so immensely gifted, what went wrong? How could the audience choose a sweet Richa to the powerhouse Ankita?

After her elimination, Ankita was sitting quietly eating her lunch. She looked pale. When asked what was on her agenda next, she smiled and said she would give her best in the ‘Wild Card’ entry. A pragmatic girl, she said it would be great if she got through, but if she didn’t then she would fight it out in the big bad world of Mumbai.

So she was planning to stay back in Mumbai? Yes, she nodded. She has always wanted to become a playback singer. It was time she struggled to achieve her dream. She said Indian Idol had given her an amazing platform and people now knew her. And considering she was just 17 with no formal training in music, it was a good beginning.

So how did she learn to sing so well? According to her, it was all thanks to Shobhan mandir and, of course, what she learnt along the way as she strived to enter the Top 10.

What was X-factor according to her? She said it was not just about looking good; it was also about how you perform and present yourself on stage. When asked if she had to face any politics on the show, she said ‘not really’. But there definitely was rivalry. She said some acted like they were 10 years old to win public sympathy.

Was she talking about Richa? She changed the topic and said Chang or Parleen would win the title. According to her, among the girls, Charu had a fair chance. In the end, it’s all in the hands of God, she said with a sad smile.