Reality TV as real as it can get

Amidst a lot of confusion over the contract and my resentment, Ishmeet had decided to participate in the saregamapa zee tv usa 2008 contest. She was enthusiastic on the amount of learning one gets in these contests and an international exposure. Last Saturday, her dreams were shattered because during the last few days when the audience applauded and the host Aishwarya praised her singing, the judges could not go beyond the fact that she is a Sikh girl singing a song with Punjabi influence. Instead of appreciating her singing, Suresh Wadekar gave her a condescending comment in the very first episode itself. Suresh now a veteran in judging these reality singing talent shows should know for sure that these songs are preselected and given to contestants one month in advance to practice.

The second episode was shot and Ishmeet rocked the stage again, this time with a sufiana song (predecided by Zee TV). But the judges were not impressed again because they could not bear to see Ishmeet performing at a level beyond her female peers. I do not want to divulge details about other contestants but there was this guy Jeoffery Iqbal and I can assure you he was goooood. Coming back to judges, other contestants and crew members told me that they felt a huge personality conflict between Suresh Wadekar and Ishmeet. I think he was taken aback by her confidence and voice throw, something he never had and had to stick to Bhajans and romantic songs his entire career. The other guy Aadesh Srivastav is not really judging but putting oil into the fire as needed. We all know how openly he dissed Ishmeet Singh during Star Voice of India contest.

After the third episode, these guys could not take it anymore and did what they do best. They broke Ishmeet’s confidence by giving her bad comments and forced Zee TV to change her song at the last moment for the next episode. She was given a “Lata-amma” song practically 4 hours before her performance (if you remove 8 hours of sleep time). She was competing with other contestants who had practiced their songs for over a month and a week of practice with live music. My darling angel went on stage like a brave soldier knowing her time had come because the judges did not liked her style of singing and confidence. She went on stage with just one practice with live music and did her best amongst all the pressure and tension. But it was her time to depart. Rest of it was all a formality.

In her exit speech, Ishmeet very politely reminded the judges that she does understand that her voice is different and she will make the best use of it. But I think even hundreds of Ishmeet cannot make people like Aadesh Srivastav and Suresh Wadekar understand that if Lata-amma sings an Abida Parveen song it is not going to match the class and level of Abida Parveen (vice-versa also holds true). No wonder these two guys have no actual work other than judging in their hands. Ishmeet performed her last act on the song “Yeh Ishq Hai” from the movie Jab We Met. As always she smiled in front of the camera and brought down the house. But she and everyone else in the crew knew she was targeted. She was targeted for being different, being a Sikh and being confident. I am sure if she had more time to practice the last song, she would have nailed that one too. But these heartless judges could not care for less, when Ishmeet walked to Suresh Wadekar after the show; he had an “I do not care” expression. I guess these guys work only when the cameras are rolling since they no longer care for music but something else. I am hoping Ishmeet got some learning from this experience, if not necessarily the one she desired.


PS: Suresh Wadekar stop wearing netted black shirts, your man boobs show off.