by Subhash K Jha

At the Kolkata airport when Vinit gets off the aircraft from Mumbai thousands and thousands of fans surge forwardchanting his name. They throw flowersand thrust slips of paper into his face.Vinit looks flummoxed, then pleased. Coincidentallythe two Fame Gurkul winners Rooparekhaand Qazi are also at the airport. There's minimal interestin them.

Feb 10. City Centre. Salt Lake....Debojit and Vinit arrive atthe crowded hysterical venue fortheir live concert in Kolkota.While Debojit looks aroundcuriouslyand cautiously, Vinitis a little bewildered when the girls and boys start shrieking.

"It isn't as though I'm not used to crowds by now. I've been through enough live performances all over India ever since Sa Re Ga Ma Pa happened to me.I do take to the audience immediatelyand instinctively.. But this is something else," he whispers as he gets on stage to sing Janaab-e-jaani with his mentor Himesh Reshammiya.

When Debojit gets together with his mentorIsmail Durbar to render Woh kisna hai, the audiences are enthusiastic in their response, though not delirious.

"Debojit definitely has a fan following, and you can see he hasfanatics instead of fans," Sa Re Ga Maproducer Gajendra Singh pointsout to large clusters of Debu-philesshouting his name, holding up banners, insisting that he's the best. Singh then points to the fans of the other finalist."But Vinit has fans who love him for what he is, and not where he comes from. Vinit definitely has an edge," Singh admits.

Himesh Reshammiya actually gets on stage during the performanceto warn audiences not to get swayed by the contestant's place of origin but to focus on talent..

But the crowds don't seem to need any prompting. They go berserk for Vinit. Truck-loadsof girls have arrived, many in school uniforms. They scream Vinit's name as though their life depended on it. Gifts are heaped on him from all sides. One young woman catches hold of Vinit and kisses him. Vinit looks shocked.

But the best it yet to come. A young woman comes forward with a parcel. "This is something I've bought for you with my first salary," she thrusts the offering to Vinit. The star of the evening looks confused. He smiles nervously.

"Imagine a 17-year old boy from a small town, suddenly faced with super-stardom. Imagine what it must be doing to his head. Vinit needs to remain grounded," Gajendra Singh whispers.

Half-way through the performance, crowds break the barricade and head towards the stage. Debojit looks pleased. Vinit looks alarmed. The crowd heads towards Vinit and pushes him down. Vinit stumbles, falls and quickly picks himself up.

The show wraps upat 10 pm. Vinit seems stunned by the experience."I never thought such attention is possible. It's enough to turn anyone's head. I'm going back with a bagfulof gifts from people I never knew!"

He shows a maturity way beyond his years when he confides. "I'm worried about my voice. It hasn't yet changed with puberty. And it's being put under so much strain. I'm guarding it as best as I can. But yes, I feel the strains of pubertyin my vocal chords."

When you tell him that the attention he got in Kolkata was much larger than his competitor, Vinit smiles shyly. "I'll have to agree with you. Now let's see what happens in Delhi tomorrow."

The duo is slated to perform in Delhi on Sunday.