- Prashant Tamang
Very rarely do you meet a policeman who can sing romantic songs. Indian Idol contestant Prashant Tamang, from Darjeeling, is a constable with Kolkata police who dreamt of becoming a singer. Though he never received any training, he listened to songs and picked up tunes. Once in the force, he joined its orchestra group and soon became popular.
Today, with the encouragement of his seniors and fellow constables, he is one of the 11 finalists of Indian Idol. Now, this soft-spoken policeman dreams of becoming a playback singer.
A singing policeman on the stage of Indian Idol. How did this happen?
I am a police constable. I joined Kolkata police force in 2002 and was in the special action force till 2006. At the end of 2006, an orchestra was formed within the department and I got a chance to perform in it. I gained a lot of confidence facing the audience there.
I never really watch Indian Idol, I never had the time. My seniors and colleagues encouraged me to participate and it is because of them that I am here today.
Despite being in special action force, did you secretly dream of becoming a singer?
Yes, I did dream of becoming a singer, but never thought it was possible. My father was in police and so my family expected me to become a policeman, too. But now I have the support of my colleagues.
Are you married? Or do you have a girlfriend?
No, I am not married. And I don’t have a girlfriend yet.
How do you rate your chances of winning the title?
Every contestant here is talented, some of them much more than me. I can win only if I perform really well. I want to request the janta to vote for the best singers. True talent should come up. India needs good singers and the deserving one should get the votes.
I don’t want to leave my friends behind just to climb the ladder. They’re like my family now. It makes me sad when anyone is eliminated.
Will you give up your job if you win the title?
If I win the title, I will do is talk to my seniors in the force and consult them about what to do. I’ve to get their permission. Of course, I dream of becoming a playback singer, but at the moment there are tough decisions to be taken.
I cannot leave the police force. It is because of them that I am here today. We’ll just have to see what happens later.
Which music directors do you dream of working with?
My favourite music directors are Jatin Lalit. If I win, and get a chance to sing for them, it will be a dream come true.
Who is your favourite judge and why?
Anu Maliik. He is very straightforward and says what is right, on your face. I don’t feel bad about it—it is important that we know our flaws at this stage.
Why are the performances a little low key in the Galas?
Yes, I agree the performances are not up to the mark. I guess we all are very tense and under pressure. Performances will definitely be better this week. I am trying hard to improve my performance.
You looked good in your suit. Are you concentrating on grooming yourself?
If we look good, we will become popular and thus get more votes. That is the only reason for my interest in designer clothes. Now that we have designers working for us, I would definitely like to take advantage of the opportunity.
Any message for your fans?
I am the first Nepali to be on this stage. I am sure my achievement is a matter of pride for the whole Nepali community across the world.
“Designer dresses and latke jhatke are secondary”
- Puja Chatterjee
Puja Chatterjee, one of the most talented singers on Indian Idol started singing at the tender age of four. A student of the singer Ajay Chakraborty from Kolkata, her control over her voice and rhythm is outstanding. She won many local and national talent hunt competitions till date. Though she stays in a boarding school at Indore, where there is no TV, her parents heard about Indian Idol and enrolled her for the auditions. Since then there has been no looking back for this powerhouse of talent.
What are your chances of winning the title among the other contestants?
I have been learning music since I was four. As a result, I can say I am the senior among the other contestants. [Laughs]. Here, most of the singers have either just started learning or have been training for the last six months or a year.
Of course, it doesn’t mean I’m the best. But I am more experienced and I concentrate more on my singing. My expression of a song is the best among others and I hope the audiences are noticing the difference. Honestly, I do believe I should become the next Indian Idol.
How important do you think good looks and on-stage presentation are?
I don’t pay much attention to my presentation on stage. For me perfection of singing and holding the right tune and rhythm is the single most important thing. I believe that one should understand the lyrics of the song and sing it with feeling; performance will shape up automatically. Dancing doesn’t work when you’re off key. I just pay attention to my expressions and my overall performance is enhanced by it.
What is your ambition? Who do you idolise when it comes to singing?
I wish to become a versatile playback singer and work with all the music directors in the industry. I don’t want to take a single name like A R Rahman or Anuji… my ambition is to work with everyone. They all have different styles of presenting their music.
I idolise Lataji, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle.
Your performance in the first Gala was a let down. Were you very upset?
It happens. No singer can perform without faltering. If you remember, Javedji said that Sachin can’t make a century in every innings. Sometimes he gets out for zero, too. I scored a zero in the first Gala, but the next one will be a century for sure. And I’ll make sure I keep on hitting centuries.
In case you don’t make it to the Top 5, will you go back to Dhanbad?
In case my journey ends here, it won’t be the end of the world. This is not my only aim—I want to be a playback singer. I’ll definitely come back to Mumbai. I am sure many music directors are watching the show and have noticed my talent. Indian Idol has given me the platform I wanted. Now I’ve to leap higher. I will approach the music directors, knock on their doors. I’ll struggle like other singers.
“Indian Idol is a turning point in Meiyang’s life”
- Gaichen Chang, Meiyang’s mother
“I’ve never seen him so driven,” said Gaichen Chang, Meiyang Chang’s mother. She runs a beauty parlour in Dhanbad. Meiyang’s father is a dentist and the reason why Meiyang never thought twice before joining the college of dentistry.
So when did a career in music come into the picture? Gaichen smiled and said she had never known Meiyang was serious about a career in music, till Indian Idol happened.
“You can say that Indian Idol is a turning point in Meiyang’s life,” she said. Meiyang had gone to Bangalore to take the MDS entrance, but then he called up to tell his parents that he had cleared the audition for Indian Idol. “We were surprised. We had seen the show earlier, but had never had a clue about how big it was,” she said. “The people in Dhanbad are praying for Meiyang. He is a hero there.”
Meiyang has always been multi-talented. He was a good painter in school. In college, he used to participate in music competitions and has won many prizes. Surprisingly, he never received any training in music. Gaichen had thought music was a passing phase for him. At Dhanbad, a music career was no career at all, and shifting to Mumbai was never an option. “But we’ll support him in everything he does. We want him to make the best of whatever he wants to do,” his mother said.
Meiyang has got a surprisingly huge fan following through the show. And it is not just because of his singing; his looks contributed to it as well. It seems he gets more votes from girls than from guys. Geichang smiled when she heard about it. So, does he have a girl friend? She shook her head: “Not as far as I know.” But then if the girls keep chasing him, who knows?
What are his chances of winning? According to his mother, the contenders are quite strong. Charu and Deepali are very talented. But Meiyang is also among the best in the show. “Whatever the audiences decide, we’ll take it sportingly,” she said. “He should make the best of whatever God has given him.”
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