Judges or Rudeness personified. Review on Indian Idol

Show: Platform for finding new singing talent in the country

Judges: Best in their own fields

Judgments passed: Encouraging to flattering to……that’s what my review is about

This is for one of the 11 finalists’ Ravinder Ravi. He was selected based on his performance by the Judges first and later by the Indian audiences. Since the elimination round for the One and Only one Indian Idol, his performance hasn’t been his best. He himself admits this and so do the judges. However, the audience still wants him to be on the show and so he has not been voted out.

This was the fourth such episode, in the first round, Vishal Kothari was voted out, second saw the elimination of Amit Tandon and in the third round, a well-deserving candidate Rahul Saxena was also voted out of the show. Judges showed their disbelief and shock and so did some of the other contestants.

In the yesterday’s episode the displeased judges were too obvious for the lack of sur and taal in Ravinder Ravi. Sonu Nigam, told him straightforwardly ”Aapko Sur ki koi samajh nahin” and also showed his unhappiness by telling him that deserving candidates are being voted out. So was the case with Anu Malik.

My point is Ravinder Ravi has not voted himself whatever number of times needed to keep him in the race. Point accepted that he should have gone out of this race long time back, but must he be humiliated like this repeatedly. He admitted the first time that “Mujhe sur ki zyadaa samajh nahin” and he had accepted that he’s not trained for music and its “God-gifted” for which Sonu Nigam had replied ”Achcha gift hai.”

During their advertisements and show clippings, the three judges had been shown to remove a candidate just because his looks were not like that of an Indian Idol. So if looks were also a criteria when they were screening, they should also have mentioned that only trained people should be accepted for their show. At least, it would not have made them look impertinent to an extent that it looks bad to the audience also.

Somehow, it seems Ravinder Ravi is ready for his dismissal from the show, but the audience would not let him make the graceful exit. If I were at his place, I would have considered making a dignified departure form the show as it seems judges would like to chuck him out, but its not in their hands. Agreed, he’s not performing well, but they knew that he is not trained and would loose out in the long run, where he is pitied against the trained persons. If that was the case, they should have not selected him.

Now why then is he embarrassed every time he performs? I salute his spirit of patience, of performance, of being there despite the odds he faced in his life. I wish him success and all the best in his endeavors. True, it was this show only that brought him in the limelight, but the same show is making fun of all those things for which it first started, talent hunt.

He is talented, Mr Sonu Nigam, but when it’s the choice between feeding the family and following the dream, the first takes priority. Let him sing with compassion, judge him, criticize him but not in such a bad taste, be a critique, not a discontented judge. Chuck him out if you wish, but don’t make him responsible for the voting out of other candidates. In the end, only one has to be selected, so he is bound to leave, so why do you want to blame him for those who have been dismissed, it’s the audience not he that’s to be blamed.