Young singing sensations

reality bites

Indian Idol Junior, which is being aired on Sony Entertainment, comes as a breath of fresh air as it is totally shorn of stagy behaviour, scheming acts, soppy rona-dhona and surfeit sycophancy (apparently strategies adopted by contestants to squeeze out extra points from the judges).

Incidentally, some of the young kids, especially in the age group of five and seven years, are so shrouded by sublime innocence that being selected or not for the next round doesn’t seem to make any difference to them. In fact, you can see them more than happy when one of the studio judges trawls through a massive trunk containing a treasure trove of toys, and hands them a furry teddy bear as remuneration for their singing skills.
Of course, the over-indulgent parents of these young contestants look more anxious and overwrought than these kids. Naturally, it is a mammoth task to make these five and seven year olds sing before the judges. During auditions, a child even refused to croon despite constant coaxing and cajoling by the judges.

If you find these tiny-tots acting all skittish and lacking seriousness, the older kids, in the age-group of 12 to 14 years, look all hyped up. In such cases, you see the anchors, Mandira Bedi and Karan Wahi, amicably indulging in pep talks to bolster their spirits.
Really, one has to admit the show is indeed an aural joy, especially to music aficionados. In the audition round, nine-year-old Sonakshi left everyone in awe with her rich timbre voice, which was similar to that of seasoned playback singers. The auditions also saw Mukund, from Coimbatore, and our Banglore girl, Anjana, both with jaw-droppingly impressive voices.

Then came Prerna, the visually-challenged girl with a mellifluous voice which had the potent power to put anyone in a trance. And then there was Debanjana, the girl with a very pleasing demeanour who wowed the judges with her wonderful voice and winsome smile. There was Ranita, the seven-year-old moppet; the chota pataka with the unique dulcet and matured voice unusual for her age. There were also contestants from poor families, who never had the luxury of owning a TV  set. Yet, they picked up singing purely by listening to the tracks played on the radio.

Incidentally, in the audition rounds, there were fun moments as well. For example, some of the kids, though off-key and with guttural voices, were still singing with delirious abandon, oblivious to their surroundings and impervious to suppressed sniggers and leg-pulls from the judges.

Among the top 10 finalists, selected in the last episode, we have our bubbly Banglore girl Anjana Padmanabhan, brimming over with unbridled energy and bountiful confidence. Really, the top 10 finalists need to slug it out to bag the first place, which in itself is yet another treat to watch for the next 10 weeks. Catch the show on weekends at 8.30 pm on Sony Entertainment television.