Starting young is often flaunted as the success mantra. And why not when there are TV channels and production houses queuing up to host talent shows, to unearth hidden talents.
Wannabe actors and singers, today get to choose their launch pad from a wide platter, both at regional and national levels. Close on the heels of ‘Sarigamapa’, ‘Voice of India’, ‘Chhote Ustad’, ‘Voice of Karnataka’ and ‘Yede tumbi haduvenu’ among others, comes Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs , from the house of Miditech. ‘Li'l Champs’ is a search for Karnataka's two best junior singers.
“The competition was open to those in the age group of 7-12 years. We toured the State and shortlisted 64 of the 1220 kids, who auditioned,” says Miditech’s S Balraj. Renowned singers Raju Ananthswamy and Suma Shastry chose 32 girls and 32 boys. The theatre round that followed saw the shortlisted being scrutinised by singers B Jayashree and Hemanth Kumar. At the end of this round, only 9 girls and 9 boys were allowed entry to the gala round.
The show only got exciting and intense, with singer Rajesh Krishnan stepping in to test the skills of these young artistes.The 18 contestants, put to best use the training they received at the ‘gurukul’, that had B K Sumitra, Faiz Khan and Kasturi Shankar as its head. Of the 18, top 12 contestants have made it to the next round. From top 12, there will be top six and subsequently the final four will be selected. Of these, only two will make it to the final round, but at this stage the organisers plan to introduce a wild card entry, to give the eliminated contestants a chance to challenge the finalists. The finals is scheduled to be held in March and the winners will be awarded with educational scholarships.
Whether or not Ohileshwari, Hiranmaye, Aditya, Adarsh or Siddharth will make it to the finals, they say that the journey so far has been a very enriching experience. While they are enjoying their new found popularity, Rajesh’s presence on the show is what they like the most. “Rajesh sir is like a school of music. The tips given by him and the musicians will go a long way in brushing up our skills,” they say. He is also a very fair judge, the parents add.
“The best part about Rajesh is that he lets the participants know why they are being eliminated,” they add.
“I judge the kids the way I would scrutinise playback singers. Their maturity and talent levels are very high. From voice dynamics to intonations, pronunciation, expressions and the preparation quotient, I look for completeness. I become heartless when it comes to judging the kids. I’m no less than a butcher then. I’m just glad that people consider my judgement fair,” says Rajesh.
Another person who is very dear to the kids is singer and host of the programme, Pallavi. They say that her jokes and endearment go a long way in reducing their stress. Their `Pallavi akka’ also is very fond of them. “Their confidence inspires me. And what amazes me is that they shed their inhibitions. The programme has allowed us to improve them and push them in the right direction. Kids are like sponge and they absorb our instructions so quickly,” she says.
The kids have also liked the idea of theme based evenings, be it the Rajkumar, Mothers or Republic Day Special. They also say that it is great fun meeting the prominent faces of Sandalwood, who come as celebrity judges. But before they go on to talk to Pallavi and Rajesh about their day’s performance, these kids don’t fail to thank musicians Shabir Ahmed, Arun, Bhutto, Madhu and their team for their co-operation. Encourage the lil champs by watching Zee Kannada every Saturday and Sunday between 9 and 10 pm.
