Where’s the Music in Music Talent Hunts?
Back when satellite TV was still a new phenomenon in Indian households, we used to wait for Fridays – Annu Kapoor’s Antakshari and TVS Saregama on Zee TV, that Sonu Niigaam (back when he was Sonu Nigam) used to host, were the two music shows that got everyone in the house to forget their bad days and ill-will and crowd around the TV just to get lost in the music for two hours.
I remember one episode when S P Balasubramaniam was the judge on Saregama and a contestant sang a Rafi song that sent SP into raptures about Rafi. After the song ended and was judged, Sonu (the extra vowels in his names now, sadly, and his penchant for weird hairdos, have taken away from what he originally was – a shy boy with a voice that could get every minute nuance of a song right, eerily like Rafi, and an unassuming music show host who wanted to tell the world of his love for Rafi, and music, through his songs) and SPB forgot the world around them and indulged in a conversation about Rafi’s magic for a few moments. I remember SPB humming Yeh Dekh Ke Dil Jhooma, gently warbling the “ma” like Rafi, and saying (paraphrasing) “When Rafi sang, his voice caressed your ears like the waves of the ocean.”
What an analogy, I thought, and what a picture of humility SP was, to acknowledge someone else’s greatness on a public forum, yet in no way taking away from his own musical achievements.
I wish Sonu had continued in the same fashion – wearing long kurtas, hair unkempt but neat, allowing only his voice to speak for him and not his corn-rowed hair, sparkling belts and glittering waistcoats.
Last week, Sreeram Chandra won the 5th season of Indian Idol, and from all that I’ve heard of him, is said to be a very gifted singer. While I’m glad that someone who deserved to win won the contest, I no longer have it in me to sit in front of the television and watch the million music talent hunts on various channels that vie for attention not because of the contestants’ talent, but because of staged fights between the judges, costumes that can shame a Mardi Gras drag queen, an audience that is paid to emote the way the show producer wants him to and contest rules that are an insult to every contestant.
I sat through 2007′s TVS Saregama Little Champs, because Sonu had not yet sold his soul to vowels and jewels and scrunchies, and because Suresh Wadkar was the co-judge, one of the most under-exploited singers in Bollywood. Also, because the kids were hugely talented. Sample this – one of my all-time favourites:
I cry every single time I listen to this. Till I see Shashi Kapoor’s doppelgänger in the audience, that is 
Today, we have judges whose claim to fame is either one hit song, blatant plagiarism or controversy that borders on the absurd like “Is that a hairpiece under his cap?”. Sonu’s gesture in the above video has become the mainstay of every single such show nowadays – every judge has to hug some contestant or the other. And worst of all, contestants are made to fall at the feet of cap-wearing or gelled hair sporting caricatures of judges. Barf.
And as for the judging – why do we even have the voting option? Why do we have to follow the American Idol model of a music show? And since when is a Shilpa Shetty or a Farah Khan a music expert?
And as for the contestants, the less said, the better. I’m not generalising here, I’m glad there are some singers who’re in it not for fame or fortune but to actually showcase their talent, but with each passing season of every music show, it’s more about playing to the gallery than singing for the sheer joy of it.
I sing – I wouldn’t call myself a bathroom singer, though, I’m one step above that. There are days when all you can do is sing – I belong to that class of people. I sing mostly for me and sometimes, to no one at all. Music to me is life itself.
The singer and lover of music in me blanches at the very thought of sitting through one and a half hours of the most banal tripe that’s passed off as a music talent hunt today. Till such time that music takes centre stage once again and producers refuse to pander to egomaniacs with delusions of grandeur, music shows on Indian TV will have one less viewer.
(SPB image courtesy Wikipedia)
Related reading:
Guest writer and famed mentalist Nakul Shenoy makes a similar point about Indian reality shows on magic on FTP: India’s got magic. Or has it?
Yahoo! India Opinions columnist Amit Varma drives home the point that there is no shortcut to success in his column Viewfinder: Give me 10,000 hours.
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you are right.have not come across any talent to better this.and you write so well.it is a pleasure to read all your articles.
jayashree
August 20, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Thanks for your kind words, Jayashree
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:27 pm
i think u r absolutely right. theres more of drama than real talent to listen to. most of these so called talent hunt winners never get heard of after the event. Its mainly bcoz the talent quotient is very less.
prasad
August 20, 2010 at 9:13 pm
you are absolutely right!! we dont hear much abt the contestants after the show! and just for publicity ,guests who have 0 knowledge abt music are made to judge !
Dr Shivani
August 20, 2010 at 11:24 pm
I agree, Prasad – it’s almost as if talent is being pushed to the back burner to accommodate TRPs.
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:28 pm
OMG! Is that SonuNigam in that picture???dont believe my eyes,y does he need such a makeover?
Dr Shivani
August 20, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Yes, Dr Shivani – that is indeed Sonu Nigam. Isn’t it heartbreaking
?
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Loved the post. Something that most would agree with – that reality shows these days just seem to play to the galleries. Participants being made to prostrate in front of judges like Farah Khan & Shilpa Shetty just adds insult to injury.
Windy
August 21, 2010 at 2:45 am
Thanks, Windy – I sincerely hope these show producers do a reality check soon.
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Suma Nagaraj, love the writing style. I hardly watch TV, much less the talent shows. Cannot but agree with your observations though – I know a few talented and trained musicians who do not participate in these shows precisely because the art of music is trivialized at the altar of popularity. Also, after the brief claim to fame that winners experience, is there any record of how they take their careers forward, and whether having won helped in the long run? In the final analysis, talent shows are probably one more road to Bollywood, just like the beauty contests…
NMP
August 21, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Thanks much, NMP
– just like a censor board, I think we should have a BS board for this kind of shows.
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:31 pm
i completely agree with the views of the auther. There were days when streets were empty and we used to have nearly 20 neighbours coming home, all scilently enjoying the show. But now,its all drama and feel like all the acts and comments are fixed in advance by the production team. Moreover, i would not consider this as talent hunt but it is a well planned business event where millions of people are emotionally blackmailed to vote in the name of a state of place of origin of the contestant. These events are just a revenue erners to many of the looser musicians and a promotion platform for films and even music. These events make contestants famous overnight and once they are outof the show nobody even cares for them. Its high time to stop this nonsence events which results in un-necessary nevenue loss to the comman man. Although we are living in a democratic country every-one has got freedom to act but one should take care that nobody’s undue advantage is taken or we dont hurt someone’s dreams and sentiments. After all audience is the king, they have to decide what is good for them and what not.. Jai Hind..
Mitul
August 21, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Thanks, Mitul – You’ve captured the sentiment of how we used to collect to watch the show together nicely.
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:32 pm
I fully agree with what was said about the music shows that are offered through various channels.It is only for the channel to fill their coffers and real talents are not recognised by the channels and are indulging in mere gimmicks,to increase the TRP ratings. If you have ever seen the Airtel Super Singer in Vijay TV 2008,injustice was done to a singer called Rohit by the socalled famed judges who only script the producers ego.Forgettng their own reputations,they indulge in all sorts of favourtism and biased comments just for the sake of few thousands.This snger was the best of the lot and he quit the show unable to bear the humiliations heaped on him after reaching the top 6.
parameswaran
August 22, 2010 at 2:27 pm
yes these shows r not going to find the talented people in the world rather its a new business for them …I am a fan of rohit in that show I am happy to see a person(parameshwaran) who remember rohit still.
preethi
August 22, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Thanks, Parameswaran – I haven’t seen Airtel Super Singer, will try and look it up on YouTube. My friend was saying that same thing recently – that if I wanted to see genuine talent in music shows, I should watch regional programs rather than Hindi ones.
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Gone are days when the real hunt was a magic and god gifts only.
I recall the day when Sonu Nigam had sung Rafi song of bheegi raat-
at Siri fort at New Delhi and was adjudged as best singer.
But now I found Sreeram has god gifted talent but he has to maintain his wrapo and styles and remain a good singer.Today there are plenty of platforms for talent hunts of singers.
But what is the future of best and highest voted singers were the top scores and today none of them have been qualified and debut as a playback singer,it is really a matter of concerns.
Madhusudan
August 22, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Thanks, Madhusudan, for your comment. I think we all agree with each other on this discussion.
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:34 pm
there are so many of them but just few get to enter the music industry
Pooja
August 22, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Hey can anyone tell me- can javed akhatar saab,the famous lyricist sing?
leonine_ayon
August 22, 2010 at 6:45 pm
How true your observations are! Yes. Sonu Nigaam looks more like a bafoon than a singer.
Muralidhar KR
August 22, 2010 at 6:56 pm
A Fine Review that is. We Indians are trying to follow the American Pie Dream or Drama. Getting a treat on this reality show Nonsense is something that can never hold ground in the Indian Music Lovers scene.Lets Talk of Judges Anu Malik: he is not even a distant shadow of his Father Sardar Malik. Shreya Ghoshal: Omg! Gimme abreak. Cap wala Babu singing out of his Nose in a funny Tone: Indian Musci can never be so lowly. Shilpa Shetty: What the Heck, Farah Khan: Funny mascot.
Ravi
August 22, 2010 at 7:17 pm
It’s good that anyone summarized that what the reality shows are in India.Indians has a very part of emotional.we cant’t think what actually going on behind the screen.if we try to find out in each every field then reality would be different.
Such as INDIAN IDOL that z not real INDIAN IDOL it’s actually IDOL BUSINESS.if we talk about Indian idol there was total business & most of star came in most of episodes but they were not there for searching talent they were there only for promotion of their movies.
In the grand finale there was list of singers & most of business icon to congratulate winner & promote their related field only.
The cost of one message was approx 3 rupees.
now start thinking what was going on there if you have a business mind…………………….
R.S.
August 22, 2010 at 8:49 pm
The recent Indian Idol 5 winner Sreeramchandra is truly a gifted singer, we are really proud of him. And true, what is this judging by SMS’s ? In a country like ours where Hindi speaking states are more in number than Non-Hindi states, its quite difficult to have SMS’s for a Non Hindi contestant more so when the channel is a Hindi Channel? One should understand this.
And despite this unfavourable position our Sreeramchandra has won the contest. Hat off to him.
And by the way where is SP Balasubrahmaniam ? He is nowhere seen – not even a comment in the media about Mr Sreeram’s fabulous performance ? whats happening ??
k naresh
August 22, 2010 at 9:15 pm
The recent Indian Idol 5 winner Sreeramchandra is truly a gifted singer, we are really proud of him. And true, what is this judging by SMS’s ? In a country like ours where Hindi speaking states are more in number than Non-Hindi states, its quite difficult to have SMS’s for a Non Hindi contestant more so when the channel is a Hindi Channel? One should understand this.
And despite this unfavourable position our Sreeramchandra has won the contest. Hats off to him.
And by the way where is SP Balasubrahmaniam ? He is nowhere seen – not even a comment in the media about Mr Sreeram’s fabulous performance ? whats happening ??
k naresh
August 22, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Toady’s music is to be seen rather than to be heard. That explains why we have imitatators ( Rafi Shaeb, Mukesh , Kishore Da) masqurading as musicians.
Anil Sinha
August 22, 2010 at 9:40 pm
A very good critical review of the reality music shows that have hit the TV in the last few years. With the “reality show bug” making every other TV channel ( even the news channels…. phew!!!!) its victim, the authenticity of the real talent remains questionable. There is more emphasis on being a complete power packed performer than being a good quality singer in the music shows. Though such shows bring the contestants in limelight and glitterati of the media ( mostly for the cat fights/issues other than quality singing), the effect is transient. The sanctity and purity of Indian music has somehow been lost in it. Please bring back the days of TVS sa re ga ma when we used to enjoy the melodious singing and a warm atmosphere by the judges right from eminent ghazal singers to great musicians/ misic directors/lyricists to contemporary singers.
Dr Tulika
August 22, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Nice write-up. In fact a common musician like me has left watching the reality shows since Amanat Ali was adjudged 3 in some of the contest. So many Indian judges spoke of him by saying that he doesn’t belong to the competing class … rather his seat was with them. A talent of that class … and this is it … kudos to the viewers rating and all the best to indian TV serials and reality shows … (with the passing of everyday … someone else is enjoying the independence …)
Sudeep
August 22, 2010 at 11:22 pm
I partially agree with ur comment bcoz saregamapa on zee marathi is still maintaining d glory of yester years anchoring of Pallavi Joshi and expert comments of Awdhoot Gupte maintins the dignity of programmes like this . And nobody knows what d hell has happened to Sonu Nigam?Is there anybody on this earth who can convince this modernised Sonu NIGAM that he was looking 1000 times better in his original shy n neat hairdo than this junglee n irritating outfit May god gives sonu THODISI AKAL.
Ulhas Mahajan
August 22, 2010 at 11:55 pm
now a days people like ar rehan belting out cacophony. he does not know
music at all. can u compare him shankar jaikishan??? theough they
are no more. their songs are even now popular. what is sonu? who is sreeram?? can u compare them with raji mukhesh or manna dey?
music in dead now. there is no music only cacophony. long line
shankar jaikishan madan mohan era.
pilli
August 22, 2010 at 11:56 pm
ya.. u r right. but by watching all this from long time, people got habituated to it… watching reality shows for drama is a trend:-)
sam
August 23, 2010 at 12:19 am
Hi…I liked your article a lot…You have highlighted very rightly how music shows are immitating the western trend…there is no original talent left anywhere..everywhere it is become money making process…more the controversies more the producers make money…I really used to like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Meri Awaz Suno in the early days …but recently Sa re Ga Ma Pa has lost everything to DOGS…they have become kings in controversies…Why they need to keep a SMS poll for identifying singing talent… are the judges seated not enough to judge them…
I liked somebody has come forward and posted this article… we should be unison in avoiding the recent kind of talent shows..!! we have come across so many young participants losing their life just for they could not make it to the fame of those useless talent shows…which after the show ends we won’t know how the winner is rightly showcased in their respective fields….
Ashwini
August 23, 2010 at 5:32 am
This is thought provoking. Nowadays it is all about TRP. So even if a popular, talented? singer is voted out, he is brought back , so as to not affect the trp ratings. A few contestants manage to stay on but the rest disappear from public view for ever.
jyoti saikia
August 23, 2010 at 8:24 am
when you say, public voting, I do not understand on basis public vote ? are they experts in music ? India is the most democracic and diverse coutry. e have democracy and communism. capatlism. since indepedence 70% os people have been living under poorty line. that figure has been constant all the time. these reaity shows have all tie up with big brads, promotions of that right from cotestants’ cltothes to shoes and so son…this is all show business. you do not need to wear flashy, jazzy clothes in order to provie your singing. god knows how much are judges are gettin paied for their drams.
Respected Mahomand Rafi, Kishore da, Mukesh were so simple and humble they just knew how to sing and they just knew how to maintin dignity in their singing. they were worshiping the singing.
and now, this shows have left it to diversified public of India to decide who can sing well. that amazing !!
well whoe thing is business, 70% people who live under poorty line can not afford to watch this show and anyaywa even if they wantch they do not have money to invest in the products which show promotes, or they event cant affors sms. rest 30% people watch for fun with som much banality and medocre appreciation though they can not sing even sa re ga ma pa in right pitch. but importantly what they do is they have money to buy products and spend their welth.
you see, this is how our India run, richer get richer and cirulation of money happens among rich guys.
paawan
August 23, 2010 at 9:03 am
I am very much agree with Mr. pawan because in this development most of the people have no transitor to listen the music. The most of the ratio is in rural area how can some people can decide who is the good singer or bad, judgement anbout the peroformance, how many people know about the singing & parameter of singing. I know so many people they are excellent singer but due to lack of knowledge how to procced for the all talent shows.Pawan its great your thinking is very high.
mukesh
August 23, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Some time back our very gifted Lata Mageshkar bought out the same issue.Truly stated by her that how many winners in so called reality show really make it a success, once the show is over. Talented people like Amit Sana are just lost in the crowd. Of all the winners i remember, only Sunidhi Chauhan ( judged by Lata Ji) could make it. So why give youngsters a dream of easy money and short lived fame when the dream is bound to be broken.Supposed to provide a platform to the talented, its become more a platform for non talented judges to speak about topic they have no clue about. A true trp gimmick which has whatsoever no corelation with finding and retaining new talent.
Ritu
August 23, 2010 at 10:15 am
Thanks, Ritu – that’s the thing? How much recall value do these singers have? And what chances do they have of carving out careers in music? Most of the so-called winners are nowhere to be seen!
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Teri diwani of Kailash Kher is ma one & only fav song,, but i guess little master Aamir Hafiz has sung it in a vry vry fantastique tone & rythem,, i loved loved it,,
$ @ I\I I- O $ I-I
August 23, 2010 at 10:26 am
I congratulate you on this article. you have said what i have felt these days. the judges are actually nobodies sitting and giving out judgment and trying to influence the voting. the voting phenomena is actually misleading. just see what happened to the boy from Darjeeling… he won thru votes cast by the hill ppl and the services ppl… who does not understand music, the boy Amit Paul was by far much better singer than him, but lost… now do we hear his name any more ? where as Amit is doing great – performing all over the country!!
I sometimes even feel that the votes are doctored by the channels…to increase their TRPs .
I request you to watch Zee Bangla’s Saregamapa (854 tatasky, at 9.30 ) and see how the judges are behaving… they are so friendly and appreciative of each other… they are literally nurturing the talents!!! Kumar Shanu, Monali Thakur & Haimanti Shukla are the main judges, and other ppl like Shantanu Moitra, Abhijeet, Kavita Krishna Murthy are the guest judges… see and feel their interactions and see how one can conduct oneself gracefully. these so called judges of Indian Idol etc should see the programme and take a lesson or two from them!!!
Nivedita Bose
August 23, 2010 at 11:10 am
Thanks, Nivedita, for your detailed comment – 100% agree with your sentiments as well
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Why such a serious thought for such a small issue, its all entertainment business and money at the end of the day. None of the TV contestant winners make big in real life once the show is over, simply because they are judged on ability of singing hindi films songs which entertains the actual TV viewers. They are not be judged on Basic music training and knowledge because then it would become a boring show.
You will never see the real singers with music knowledge sing hindi or english songs. They are always practising on their ‘sur,raag and taal’. Because its the knowledge of sur and raag which is actually needed to sing and understand a completely new song.
Jagdish
August 23, 2010 at 12:10 pm
@Jagdish – Because we love music and can’t tolerate music taking a backseat in music shows?
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:35 pm
@Jagdish: yes, probably your point of view is right, why such a serious thought ?
but think for a moment, it is not a quality entertainment, it is just some sort of show business, and we people just want to have light time-pass, who cares what the show is, what show promotes and how much people are making money out of the show !
if it is talent hunt show, bring good talent and place them in industry so we can enjoy their voice quality forever, but thats not their primary motive, probably it is secondary.
basically the point is: you can make anything a show business demeaning and belittling of respect of the thing.
for example show like live swayamvar, music shows, they are nothing but putting fuzzy besmirch and blemishes on marriage and music.
you know we have taken everything lightly, and we have lost the sense of respect for certain things as mentioned above.
probably sometimes drawing a line seems necessity to bring respect, discipline and sense of pride of culture.
paawan
August 27, 2010 at 3:30 pm
good article and very true. i congratulate you on this, very thoughtful.
however i think this song (as you posted) was best sung by this little champ:
just a thought. am i right?
regards
Nature
August 23, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Had such feelings already inside me,…………happy to know that others also have same feelings as me!!!!!!
jayanthi pradeep
August 25, 2010 at 10:33 am
Jayanthi, Nature, Mukesh, Jagdish, et al – thanks for your comments
glad to know we belong to the “we love music” tribe!
Suma Nagaraj
August 25, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Me to have same opinion. finally i came to know many people struggling like me to express the opinion over the Musical Talent Shows. Where i feel these days E TV Telugu “Paaduthaa Theeyaga” is best program. where there are no SMS poll and we get lot of exposure to Telugu, Tamil Film music by SPB’s explanations.
VenkatSangu
August 30, 2010 at 3:37 pm