Subhash K Jha
"Qazi Tauqeer Is Hardly A Singer... Indian Idol & Fame Gurukul Has Copied Us!" Producer Of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Challenge' Gajendra Singh Takes On The Sony Challenge.

WhenSalman Khan made a guest appearance on Sa Re Ga Ma Challenge he was so bowled over by the quality of singing that he stayed on till 4 in morning after finishing the recording at midnight to hear the contestants.

"When someone of Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia's caliber says he can't choose the best among the contestants since they're all so good, I feel my life is made," sighs the man behind the epoch-making music contest.

He has been around. Yup, Gajendra Singh is the original music man on Indian television. His two musical shows Closeup Antakshari and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa have defined and re-invented the Indian music contest on television.

And now with the perennially-popular Sa Re Ga Ma Pa being re-vamped into the massively aggressive Sa Re Ga Ma Challenge, Singh can sing another tune.

Media-shy Gajendra Singh welcomes the show's new wave of popularity. "When we decided to revamp Sa Re Ga Ma Pa into its new format we had one basic target in mind. The contestants should have direct access to the composers so that their ultimate destination—film singing—would be apparent to these hopefuls from the time they enter our contest. That's why we got a whole range and spectrum of composers from the classically inclined Ismail Durbar to the beat-oriented Himesh Reshammiya to the melody-motivated Jatin-Lalit and the all-rounder Aadesh Shrivastava –to serve as judges. I'm happy and proud to say these judges have taken the talented contestants under their wings and groomed them into a kind of stardom even before they pass through the winning post. One of our finalists Vineet has sung all the songs for Zayed Khan under the supervision of Himesh Reshammiya for a film Rocky."

The threat from Sony's twin contests Fame Gurukul and Indian Idol looms large over Sa Re Ga Ma. But Gajendra isn't the least initimidated.

"I feel they on Sony have copied us. But their focus isn't on singing. It's on face value. I've been doing a musical talent scouting contest since 1994. I virtually grew with my channel Zee. You'd be shocked to know what kind of money I'm offered by rival channels to join them. But I feel abandoning Sa Re Ga Ma would be like orphaning my own baby."

He dismisses Sony's twin tune shows.

"Indian Idol is all about marketing and glamour. I can't see Qazi or any of the other winners on Fame Gurkul acquiring the durable fame of our contestants like Shreya Ghosal, Kunal Ganjawala and Shaan. Their star-contestants like Rahul Vaidya and Prajakta were on Sa Re Ga Ma first. Maybe they were lured into the other shows by the prize money and the promise of recordings. Well, let me tell you our 12 Sa Re Ga Ma Challenge finalists have already been signed for an album by Sa Re Ga Ma HMV. Besides they're being absorbed by the judges who are in a position to give them breaks. I've more than 10 years of experience in this field. I can recognize talent in budding singers. I'd like to feel our show gives them a chance to really come into their own."

A lot of watchers feel Sa Re Ga Ma Challenge focuses too much on the bickering and coochie-cooing of the star-judges.

"That's going to change as the show reaches its grand finale," promises Gajendra Singh. "Now the focus is going to be on the singers."

The anchor Shaan will remain unchanged, though.

"Why should he want to leave, and why should we? Shaan is so endearing. He's been with us for four years. And look how he took over from Sonu Nigam who people said was irreplaceable."

In about three months, Gajendra Singh also returns with Zee's other TRP-booster Closeup Antakshari.

"I can promise you it'll be bigger and brighter than before."