ROI 2: Theatrical Performaces...I

Ok…D day number 1 (each day contestants will be eliminated). We had to check out (you heard it right…check out with our luggage) from Sahil at 6:30 in the morning, start off by 7:00, and reach the venue (NCPA auditorium, Nariman Point) by say 7:30-45ish. And the reason we had to carry our luggage? Who ever gets eliminated on that day, takes his/her luggage from the venue itself, and is taken away back to the hotel into different rooms. So we sat in our bus (a double decker!!!!!) and began our journey.



I saw marine drive on our way!!!!! Heard soo much about it…was thrilled to see it! You know my music master, Shiva sir told me “watch carefully…you might see my ghost sitting on the rocks doing my riyaz!” Hehe!



Finally we reached Nariman point, end of marine drive where NCPA is located. Now, the bus stopped, the venue we had reached, but still…no body was getting out…why?? Because they wanted to do some “reality” …YELLING..sorry…energetic shots of us putting our hands, heads…and (if possible) legs out…waving like lunatics!! They did this around 3-4 times till the reality crew were satisfied with our “energy” level!! Only then did they let us get out of that bus.




We get out of the bus and they go “Run …people run!!!! Show some excitement!!! You’re seeing NCPA for the first time in your lives…PEOPLE RUN!!!!” wo..wo..wo..chill.. ok …I’ll give you guys energy man!! yeeEAAAHHH!!! WOW…KYA JAGAH HAI YAAR!!!!




All of us sat down for a while, then, got into the auditorium where the auditions were held. We got a briefing from Nivedith Alva sir (Creative director, Miditech) about who’s in-charge of what, and how to position ourselves on stage in groups of 10, etc…etc. By the way, the auditorium was HUGE and BEAUTIFUL!!!! There is this huge chandelier right on top, it looked so pretty. And the set on the stage!!!! WOW!!! It was simply fantastic!! I was actually going to sing on that beautiful stage!




And we saw…there…right in the middle of the auditorium…4 familiar chairs. Two minutes later, the famous Indian music begins playing…and there…from behind the wings…4 familiar faces walk on to the stage, off it, and onto their chairs…Annu Malik, Alisha Chenoy, Udit Narayan and Javed Akhtar…the Idol judges!




We all gave them a standing ovation and then Annu ji, told us the rule for the days performances. We were going to be given around 30-40 seconds, and within this time we had to impress the judges with our singing. One song…30 secs…that’s it…you’re in…or out. We were 126 of us. Neither knew what the other had planned to sing. No one wanted to repeat the song. This and more ran through everyone else’s mind, except mine. I had decided that I would sing “Dekh le” from Munna Bhai, and would directly start off from the second verse to avoid repetition.




All of us went in batches…sang…and came back and sat, watched the others, waited for everyone to come back and then we had a 2 hour lunch break while the judges decided the results. Now during lunch itself there were soooo many gloomy faces among the crowd. “Maine acha nahin gaya”….”Mera gala theekh nahin tha!”…etc etc. Are yaar…jo ho gaya so ho gaya…uske bare mein baat karke tension kaiko lene ka?



So many were crying thinking about what the results were going to be. Oh God!!! This is not the end of the world people!!!! I tried rubbing some positive energy to who ever I saw crying or tensed, it did work a little…I guess.




After lunch we all went back into the auditorium and another Miditech official spoke to us. He said that the judges weren’t one bit happy with the performances. That we were all taking it too lightly. That we don’t realize how big it is to get selected from 50,000 people at the audtions. After this he asked us who all felt that their performances were not upto the mark and what they think were the reason for it. Three people spoke. Parleen, Bhargavi and another girl. All three of them said that they were very serious about that days performance, did a lot of riyaz, but somehow they couldn’t give it their best shot on the stage.




Fine. They said what they had to. Now what did the sir from Miditeck say after this? “You people don’t realize that this is a matter of life and death here…it’s a make or break situation…all your dreams, hopes and aspirations are at stake!” Hello!!! At this point I raised my hand, took the microphone and told the crowd that as much as I agree with him to be serisou about the purpose we are here for, I definitely do not agree with him about the “life or death” matter. I told him that I have seen with my own eyes people getting dejected at the audition and saying stuff like “I will never sing ever in my life again”. Making it through any such audition or any other contest for that matter, for a good singer, is all a matter of luck. I know that there must still be a hundred other much more deserving people out there who have not been given a chance to the next round, while we have been chosen. Yes we have to realize that this is not a small platform, Indian Idol is a huge national level competiton, but not the “end of all opportunities”. The most important thing is to keep a cool, and give it your best shot when needed. The things that we can take control of like, keeping our selves calm, we should. There are other things like luck and fate that are not in our hands and about which we should not think and work ourselves. Do your best…and leave the rest. We all were there for a purpose…agreed…but in that process we mustn’t forget to have a little bit of fun. After all what else can we take back with us apart from the good time we had with the newly made friends?




I heard applause from all 126 contestants as soon as I kept the microphone…like I have never heard before! I could even see Kunal from the back giving me the thumbs up sign. Hehe! As soon as I sat down, another girl got up and told the crowd that she practiced real hard, was perfectly well the previous day, but when she got up in the morning her throat just wasn’t on her side. What could she do? She went up on stage and was unable to give her best. She said that the minute she walked down the stage she thought to herself that she would never take the microphone to sing ever in her life, but…after listening to what I had said, she decided that even if she doesn’t get through this round, she will consider it hard luck and try again next year! That’s the spirit girl!!! Was I happy or what! J




Immediately after this the judges came, took their positions and told us that from 126 we would be reduced to a mere 66 and that some of us really really impressed them while others had them depressed!




Again all of us went through the same process of going and standing on the stage, 10 at a time. This time the judges too k more time ‘dramatizing’ the whole result announcing thing. Called a few of us to the front, and then created a bit of confusion in our minds as to which line (front or back) would get selected/rejected. God! It got irritating after a point and I just felt like screaming “GET ON WITH THE RESULT NOW WILL YOU!!!” anyways I did get selected (like duh…this blog entry is coming soo late ...everyone by now already knows what they are reading!! Hehe)




Among the Dubai contestants, only Vanita and I were taken to the next round. Sad. Among my friends, Bhavin, Parleen, Geetesh & Vanita gpt selected. My roomies, Appu and Bhoomi, Shilpa and Sheena they got rejected. And worst part was, I didn’t even take their contact details! I felt like an idiot!!I didn’t even get to see them! What stupid rules…eliminated aren’t supposed to meet the others!!! Bull!!! Can’t do much about it now can I!




So all the selected contestants came back into the hall, and the judges ‘briefed’ us about the next theatre rounds performances. They divided each of us into pairs (girl-guy/guy-guy) and trios. And my partner was…like most of you know…Ms.Pinky!!! (Oh I didn’t mention how she yelled “I love you ANNU ji…when she saw him the first time in the hall now did I? hehe!!! She even sang Whitney Houstan’s “I will always love you” with all the possible classical notes she could add!!! Hehe..we all had the time of our lives….now…gulp…she was paired with moi!! God…save me!!!!)