Of songs and idols…

Indian Idol Season 13.

I am not a fan of reality shows, but somehow have taken a liking to this. No, not to the scripted drama that irritates in between, but to the performances.

Its heartwarming to see so much talent on one stage, helping us rediscover or most loved songs, to enjoy live performances and see them grow from strength to strength.

I don’t think it needed all the rubbish in between – the talent on display is more than enough to sustain interest – but I guess they are trying to build up a following in their own way.

I’ve heard passionate arguments as to who is better than the rest, and who deserves (and who does not deserve) to be there, but in my head, I’m just watching it to enjoy the songs. Investing my energies into winners and losers would make it more partisan and less enjoyable, me thinks.

I do have some personal favorites though. Wadali stands out as a talent above the rest, but if you look at it from a playback perspective, he does have one style – although that is enough to warrant a listen for a lifetime! I also like Senjuti, but today’s performance by Debosmita was one of a kind.

I think there are some days when some shine more and some shine less, so it’s really difficult to know who would come out on top. But they are all winners already, for handling such pressure, and yet coming out with their best efforts.

I miss a lot of the south though – if it’s titled ‘Indian Idol’, then they should be allowed to sing regional songs as well – Hindi is not the only language by which talent can be judged. Music is music, and singers can be graded on the basis of performances, and not language. It’s a pity that such a show excludes, by the very nature of it’s format, over 50% of the talent that exists. Do you agree?