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Sonu wants to restore old days of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa

Sonu was connected to Sa Re Ga Ma for eight straight years as a host of the show.. He has been with the show even before it became SaReGaMaPa..Â It has been home coming for Sonu as he says “”Yes, I was away from my baby for eight years. I wanted to check on her if she was OK in my absence,”

Interestingly, while he refused to judge the Indian Idol 3, what made him agree to judge Little Champs? “Three reasons. I refused Idol 3 because my wife was pregnant and I was going to be in the US for some shows, so we decided to have our baby there. Secondly, when you have been part of a show for two seasons, it tends to get a bit monotonous and methodical. The spontaneity is lost. Thirdly, I felt Sa Re Ga Ma which was originally my baby had seen a lot of mind-games of late. The show had become a platform for bickering among the judges, gimmicks, controversies, fights etc. I realized it was reduced to a drama. I wanted to restore the soul and purity of the show, so I approached them to let me be a part of Little Champs. That’s why I got someone like Suresh Wadekar to be my co-judge because I think he truly understands music. We both don’t have to pretend we are fighting because we genuinely don’t fight. We get along very well and we are there only for music”, explains Sonu.

Tell him he’s mellowed down as he very politely expresses his complaints with the little singers and he says, “I was always like that. There are two ways of commenting on someone’s singing. Either you go ballistic in the guise of being frank and straightforward and reduce the other person’s self respect to shreds, or you be more tactful. There is no question of me hurting anybody’s sentiments or dignity.”

Talk veers to the show’s host Aditya Narayan. “I am very fond of him. I have seem him grow. I would take him, Rahul Vaidya and a few other little children with me for a ride in my jeep. I feel proud to see Aditya today, so confident.”

His song ‘Main agar kahoon’ in Om Shanti Om has been received well. So is less more? “Definitely! What’s the point of calling yourself the busiest singer in town when all people remember are three to four songs out of the 100 you have sung? I would rather read more books, listen more to music, travel, watch films, and enjoy life than record 10
songs in a day.” Coming up next, are Khoya Khoya Chand, Striker and Jodhaa Akbar.
An album on the anvil? “Yes, it’s a hardcore classical album, with a commercial flavour yet commercial. It’s turned out very well.”

Finally, how is papahood treating him? “Very well. My wife and I are very hands-on when it comes to our son Nevaan. We don’t have a cook or a maid. So she cooks and I change his nappies, clean his potty and put him to sleep. It’s blissful. He’s three and a half months old and yes, I do sing to him. I sing this special song which I have made for him and the minute he hears it he snuggles closer to me and goes off to sleep.”

credit - Suhani Rai

SaReGamaPa Challenge 2007

November 28, 2007 |

Comments

18 Responses to “Sonu wants to restore old days of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa”

delhi_gurl on November 30th, 2007 9:26 am

Whenever there is any reality show it is scripted to some extent. After all the show can not be a full reality show. It is not possible. I think folks you live in US or UK will understand easily as the concept of reality show started from there. The Big Brother show in UK or the Survivor show in US or the Kids Nation show in US (few that I know) are reality show but they are not 100% real. Part of the show is scripted. The winner is not completely scripted. The scripting may be in the number of votes each of them had received or may be to some extend the questions the contestant asks the guest. Like the questions asked to Laloo about Railway and his Ministry. Those are scripted to make the public inform and to promote Laloo via this show where there are no moderator asking questions but the participants are doing that. Like any typical interview there are main 10 to 15 questions and if you have that many participants.

So scripting is that part only that is my point only

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sandipb on November 29th, 2007 3:06 pm

Sharibhai,
Why do think the whole show was scripted since neither Raja nor Amanat won?
Do you think that Ashaji, Suresh ji, Sonu and even Shekhar (who said he not only want to see Aneek as number 1 in the show but number 1 in the industry) do not know anything about music?
And what about the music gurus who made Aneek SRGMP Bangla champion?

Please write rationally!

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sharibhai on November 29th, 2007 2:26 pm

u guys bring in sum reli gud points but url gota realise that zeetv cant do anythin as also the winner is scripted.if it wasnt raja or amanat wudv won.i must admit miss khera u funni.by the way miss khera do u hav facebook

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sandipb on November 29th, 2007 2:15 pm

Delhi-gurl,
I fully support your comments …
“I like the new format the melodrama not love triangle where poor Sumedha paid the price but decent amount of fun and decent amount of maasti.
I also need to blame the Indian Public live on the show why no one can speak against ID or HR when they come to bash public.”
Yes fun and masti are really needed but not the insults.
And the public will never be united unfortunately!

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delhi_gurl on November 29th, 2007 1:59 pm

I agree with sandip da that contestant are humiliated. I also agree the love triangle and Vinitâ€™s s secret girl friend. They are all true. But with the mentors if we remember correctly there were judges also invited in 2005 and 2007 who were judging the contestant before they were handed to the public. Here is the concept. The judges has taken out the weak singers and given the best to the public and now public decides among these best who is THE BEST. The judges specially Jagjit Sing loves to humiliate contestant. He is a judge his work was to give ranks not to disrespect if you remember what he said to Ashirwaya in 2005. Yes I agree the concept of having good mentors like VS and not smart mentors like HR. Judge who understand music like BL and not one who is under the influence like ID. With the change in time and change in demands things change all changes are not good but changes are always measured to be better.
I like the new format the melodrama not love triangle where poor Sumedha paid the price but decent amount of fun and decent amount of maasti.
I also need to blame the Indian Public live on the show why no one can speak against ID or HR when they come to bash public. Why the public is not united. Some like some contestant but that do not mean when they have the rights to judge public. The public made them popular so it also means public was wrong to make them so popular.
I will love to see how SN and SW reacts to the public when public vote starts. It will be fun to watch there remarks on us

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beingfair on November 29th, 2007 1:27 pm

Could that old format be called “Sonu’s Baby”??? I mena zee team had concieved and developed that idea and Sonu was hosting. So literally speaking may be we cannot call that concept Sonu’s baby.

Anyway I love Sonu Nigam. You are one of my favorites not as a singer but from whatever I have read and seen in you in all these years!!!

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sandipb on November 29th, 2007 11:39 am

It should be Srestha not Shreya.
Sorry about that

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sandipb on November 29th, 2007 10:35 am

The reasons I don’t like the new format are as follows…
1. Those who have watched SRGMP 2005 will agree with me that many a times the contestants are humiliated by the so called mentors and some of the words they used were totally uncalled for.
Even in 2007, as beingfair mentioned, the way Raja was torn to shreds is not done in any civilized society!
And what about the agony Sumedha had to go through because of that crap love triangle? Don’t you think it affected her performance?
2. The public ( and I am talking about the average people) do not understand music. They like their favourite to win even if there are other good singers. That is wrong according to me.
3. Since its all about TRP and money, I can send unlimited SMS to my favourite even if he/she is not worthy of getting so many votes. The desrving singer then loses out. (the glaring examples are in II2 and II3).
So the old format where true music exponents judge the contestants are welcome. True, we will not have a perfect world as we saw the judgement by Anandji regarding Mauli and Shreya but those will be very few.

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delhi_gurl on November 29th, 2007 7:55 am

I think most of the argumenet are scripted… and for pure entertainment. Nothing to do with the real life it is a reel life.

Like the request to Anik and Mauli to sing was also scripted and we all knwo that.

The gifts to Kareena in teh challange 2007 was scripted.

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MISS KHERA on November 29th, 2007 5:40 am

Hi guys

I think sonu is right to try to bring in the old format of saregamapa back but only to an extent because you have to moive with the time.

I know how much everyone disliked himass besharyma but he was entertaining. He was wrong to comment on love triangles and crap that had nothin to do with the singing. However i think when the judges argue about the singing of the contestants, there is nothing wrong with it. If someone speaks their mind and the other person doesnt agree with it then thats that. We do not live in a perfect world where we all agree with each other on everything and we all are happy together and never argue!!!!!

I enjoyed the arguments and i think alot of people did even though they do not like to admit to it. I found it very entertaining and thats what kept me locked to watch the programme. Himesh is very entertaining, his so spontaneous, you just never know what is going to come out of his mouth.

I have to admit that i have not enjoyed the little champs so far. Hope i will at a later stage. None on the kids have touched my heart so far. I think zee tv ahould bring himass besharyma as one of the judges!!!!!!!!!!ha ha ha

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sharibhai on November 29th, 2007 2:39 am

I WUD JUS LIKE TO ASK WHERE IS hvm2909?LONG TIME U HAVENT BEEN ON.

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sharibhai on November 29th, 2007 2:20 am

thanx for agreein wid me dehli.but i do hav to agree wid sum of the points made by sandipb and beinfair as they are valid cos when there was the old format there wasnt any hypin for any contestant like how himesh used to do.even tho there was a bit of biggerin in the show it created public demand and thus trps increase and such are the votes.more money and fame are there for organisers.so new version is gud to

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sharibhai on November 29th, 2007 2:15 am

well beingfair u jus gota liv wid it that votes were rigged as raja was clear favourite to win

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delhi_gurl on November 28th, 2007 7:56 pm

Sandip and Beingfair

Sorry friends this time I think I am partially with sharibahi.

I donâ€™t know because of one or two people we are not able to appreciate the new format. Like Himesh is extra smart there were Vishal Shekher who are good. Like we have ID who is a blind follower of HR lately there is BL on the other side. I donâ€™t want to be a jerk but all figures are not the same.

I do like the new format with the elder folks and like with kids it is good with the present format.

But if we see from Sonu’s point of view he started the show he was one of the originator of this show so it is quite natural for him to appreciate the old format. There is a saying “old is gold” but changes are for betterment and need to be accepted ….

But I like Vasundraâ€™s performance

This is my point and the way I look at it.

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beingfair on November 28th, 2007 1:59 pm

Sharibhai,

Don’t you think the way the judges (especially Himesh) used to evaluate other participants was sometimes embarrasing? I remember what he did to Raja once. The judges could have been little more diplomatic in critiquing others and campaigning for their own candidate.
Was it necessary to make up triangular love stories with those kids? Himesh is an expert in that. All these definately affect the participants.
If you want an unbiased (or say least biased)show than better opt for judges choice. Public voting is can be more biased than judges choice.
Invite 7/8 experts and let them decide who is the winner.
That’s what Sonu did when he was a host. That’s what Bangla and Marathi SRGMP does as Sandipb pointed out.
Please don’t say that zee made it all rigged. Zee’s intention is to make money from SMS and votes. Other than that I don’t think it shows partiality towards anyone in particular…as you said - they did for Aneek.

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sharibhai on November 28th, 2007 1:57 pm

may the best kid win and no more sympacy votes plz

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sharibhai on November 28th, 2007 1:55 pm

i dont agree wid u sandipb that the show has becum abt judges makin aders lose their own respect and dignity.i still think that show is gud jus there musnt be anymor hypin

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sandipb on November 28th, 2007 12:06 pm

Sonu made the key statement …”reduce the other personâ€™s self respect to shreds”.

That’s what SRGMP is all about now. To inflate the mentors’ ego and make the contestants lose their dignity.

Hope the old format comes back as in SRGMP Bengali and Marathi

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