This Lucknow girl was selected by Ismail Durbar when she auditioned for Zee SaReGaMaPa Challenge, five months back and has won a lot of fans through her songs on the show.
Poonam, who started singing very young (way back, at the age of five!), loves and idolises Asha Bhosle.
Unfortunately, Poonam lost out to Aneek Dhar, Amanat Ali and Raja Hasan, and is out of the final race and she was the last woman contestant to be out of the show.
Here's your chance to chat with Poonam and ask her all about the show and about her and much more!
Catch Poonam on Rediff Chat on October 3 at 2pm IST at Rediff.com
The Mega finalists from Saregamapa Aneek, Amanat and Raja lived their dreams when they met none other than the King Khan- Shahrukh himself this week. Since the stars of Om Shanti Om had come on the show this Saturday and Shahrukh couldn’t make it to the show, he made special arrangements for the contestants to meet him and had a tete-a-tete with them at Mohan studio in Andheri where he was shooting for an Ad film.. When the contestants were told about the meeting they got really excited but once they reached the studio they became speechless. They couldn’t believe that they were actually meeting the superstar himself in person. The three finalists were treated as stars too, as the unit members immediately recognized them as Saregamapa contestants. Infact one of them came specially to meet our Pakistan ke Mahabali Amanat and got a snap clicked with him. Shahrukh who follows the show Saregamapa Challenge 2007 regularly recognized all the three mega finalists and personally spoke to each one of them giving them tips on their songs. He told Aneek that he really liked his performance when he sang “Ek Chatur Nar” and told him that the fake moustache which he had during the song suited him a lot. He also requested Aneek to sing the song “Satrangi Re” from his Movie. Referring to Raja as the Bikaner ka Raja, Shahrukh showed him a step from the song “Chaiyyan Chaiyyan” and requested him to sing the same song in the coming episodes. He extended a warm welcome to Amanat Ali from Pakistan and told him that his forefathers are also from Pakistan and that he wishes that Amanat gets the same kind of love from India which he gets from Pakistan when he goes there.
Says Amanat Ali “I simply couldn’t believe myself that I sat in front of Shahrukh and spoke to him for so long. He was extremely down to earth and was very warm to us. What is most encouraging is the fact that Shahrukh ji, watches the show himself and he requested all of us to sing a song from his movies”. Last but not the least Shahrukh gave the advice to all of them that “Art has no winners as it is not a race so there is no number 1 in this and hence all the contestants should compete with themselves rather than competing with one another”. And with these golden words he bid them goodbye.
Bappi Da’s last week announcement of quitting the show (because of Mauli’s exit), was the talk-of-the-lip for many. While there was one side commenting about the lack of an X-factor on the show, due to Mauli’s exit, there were others who told us that it was very wrong on Bappi Da’s part to make such a statement. After all, Sumedha remains and she is still a strong and a better contender. Whew! This always happens with us. When any of our gems exit the stage, there is a huge uproar among their fans. And trust us when we tell you guys, that each of our stars wish that they could personally come and thank each of you. After all, it’s because of all the love and support from you guys that they are here.
Achaa, last week we had coloured up the stage, with our stars dressed in the colour-fullest of colours. This week, we decided to do the opposite. We went Black and White! A li’l secret: our designers almost had a nightmare, wondering how to dress up whom with just black-and-white!!
The show opened with “Bholi surat dil ke khotey” from the movie “Albela”. While our stars synced to the tunes with their voices, we put our feet up and enjoyed the version. And it was such a treat to see all looking so colourful in black and white. Our designers had sure done a bright job (pun unintended).
Amanat was the number one this week and also the reason for the first debate on the show (chuckle chuckle). After his performance Himesh ji and Shekhar were on mode-argument about how good his performance was. And before things could boil any further, Ismail ji intervened and settled the matter. His say: praise is something that could either inspire someone to reach the top or fall flat on the face.
When Poonam took the stage, Ismali ji opinionated that she, and not Amanat, should have been the number one. To this our petite Poonam replied that Amanat was like a brother to her, so his number one status was more of a pleasure than bother to her. How sweet can that be!
While Aneek went against Himesh ji’s will and sang a special song as a dedication to his love, Sumedha was rated as the underdog of the show. Raja apologised to Himesh ji for his behaviour last week, upon which he insisted that it was a matter of the past and Raja should hence close the issue. As Raja performed, one could see the sadness on Mussarat’s face – for by then, all knew it was he who was eliminated.
Like the start, the show too ended with a debate between Himesh ji and Vishal. While Himesh ji felt Raja did not sing well but stayed on because of his fan following, Vishal thought otherwise. In the midst of this, Bappi Da voiced his disappointment about how Mauli was eliminated, despite earning full marks. The argument could have gone on forever hadn’t Ismail ji played the peacemaker (again!) Yalgaar ho Ismail ji.
“What on earth is wrong with these guys” we wondered, as we sat to cover this week’s episode. Aneek was dressed like a Madrasi, Raja was in a colourful red n black and Sumedha was dressed as a Chinese lady. The others still seemed a little better, with Mauli (literally!), the tallest among the lot.
After the guys and Poonam finished singing, only Sumedha and Mauli remained. With each of them a specialist in their own genre, the audience awaited with baited breath to see who would exit the stage today. But most worried was Bappi Da, who would neither want to lose his “Indian Shakira” or “Chatisgarh ki beauty.” As the tension was getting unbearable, RJ Meet, from a popular radio channel, walked in with song requests from his listeners. While Mauli sang kem che from Jis desh mein Ganga rehta hain, Sumedha sang Hawaa Hawaai from Mr. India.
Lighter moments ended: it was elimination time. And the globe said, it was an exit for Mauli. Taking the elimination in her stride, she confessed how she had come to make a name for herself and how she is leaving with the title of Indian Shakira, something that Bappi Da fondly crowned her. “I want to retain the name and do well” she added.
There have been very few contestants, who, we feel, had gained the instant popularity and recognition that Mauli did. With her very first rendition of mayya mayya, she walked into the hearts of so many who not only fell for her singing but also for her beauty; both of which were (and are) equally unconventional.
Her stint with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa sure had its own share of controversy. Many said that she “shouts more and sings less”. Others said “she’s there to add an appeal to the show” and still others went to the extent of saying that “she was in the show to appease the US audience.” But Mauli never cared for all that. She always proved her critics wrong. Week by week her performances spoke for her and the biggest proof of this was the very fact that after each of her performance, she won applauds from not only the audience and judges, but also every celebrity guest who was on our show.
It was all smiles for Amanat Ali this week, for not only was he in, but also the number 1 challenger for the week. One could see the gleam in Ismaliji’s eyes, who sure did congratulate him, adding, that to win the show he shall have to remain the number 1 by focusing more on his performance. This week was also a request Friday. Hence we had television stars requesting the contestants to sing their favourite songs.
First on the line was Rohit Roy, who requested Amanat to sing “Aye Ajnabi” from the movie “Dil Se”. Rohit was all praises for Amanat’s voice quality. Challenger number 2 was Aneek Dhar. Upon Deven Bhojwani’s request he sang the title song “Apne to apne hotey hai” from the movie “Apne”. Shekhar was so moved by the performance that he (almost) had tears in his eyes. He voiced his appreciation for Aneek by declaring that he shall not only be the number 1 in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa but shall also rule the industry. ”Add as much honey as you can to the song” requested Kshitee when she asked Sumedha Karmahe to sing her favourite song “Kabhi Neem Kabhi Shehad” from the movie “Yuva”. Her say – “Your voice is as sweet as your looks”. An impressed Bappi Da thanked Chatisgarh for sending such a talented singer to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.
People, what is happening? Raja Hasan, our number 1 performer till sometime ago, has slipped to number 4? He has been such an awesome performer, so why the slip, we wonder? Raja seemed in no mood to talk about the number game, modestly stating that his very survival in the show to date was due to all the votes that you guys have religious sent. Wow. That’s what we call the true sportsman’s spirit (or will that be the singer’s spirit or singer sportsman spirit? Oh ho …). Raja’s fan, the dusky beauty Rajshree was in a mood to get candid. “We have one thing in common” she said “my dad calls me Raja too.” Raja sang “Akhiya nu chane na aye” from the movie “Bandit Queen” and won the heart of Shekhar who firmly believes that Raja sings from heart and hence his songs are always “felt” deep within.
Poor Poonam! Why can’t the world look at her as a singer and not add those extra tons of pity. Hey, come on … let’s focus on her performance and not on what her past/present conditions back home are. She sang “Sabki baaratein aye” from the movie “Jaanam Samjha Karo” upon the request of Smriti Irani, who (like the many) said how she was inspired by Poonam’s spirit to arise from the struggling phase.
Mauli found her a triplet of fans in the lead actresses of “Teen Bahuraniyan.” She sang “Nayi nahee” from “Parineeta”. Beautiful Prachi Desai request Mussarat to sing “Tere bin nahi lagda dil” from the movie “Traffic Signal”. “You shall not only get your roti but also Biriyani and all that you want” said Prachi. Mussarat sure bowled over Himeshji, who openly voiced his heart out, saying that if the day were the finals of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, he sure would have won the battle. But alongside, he also confessed his uneasiness about the star performer being eliminated. However when Harpreet Deol was eliminated, Himeshji was as upset as the others. He consoled the moist eyed Harpreet by explaining to him, that in the contest, ultimately the battle would be between two performers only. But that in no way meant that one was better/worse than the other. So with Harpreet, one more pearl gone. Seven remain.
We are all so used to seeing Akshay Kumar making dynamic entries on stage, that when he came to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’s stage with about a dozen baby girls, we sure were very surprised. “They are my heroines” he commented. You see, Akki’s movie ‘Heyy Babyy’ has just released and he had come to Sa Re Ga Ma to promote it. This guy had some amazing vibes that infected the judges and participants alike. But Bappi da seemed to be the happiest among them all. You see, when Akshay was just another struggler in the market, Bappi Da had encouraged him to not lose hope, adding that he had everything in him to be a super star. In fact, it was Bappi Da who helped him get a break in the super hit movie Khiladi, said Akskay.
But hey, did we mention Himeshji, who, we felt, was so excited seeing Akshay that he actually went on record saying “Heyy Babyy was a super duper hit. It had the biggest opening ever.” Himeshji, we know your movie mania continues but labelling every movie a “super hit” like yours seems… err… not a great idea.
As the show progressed, we saw Akshay singing, grooving and even wielding the Nunchaku that one of our participants had gifted Akshay. As our participants belted out each of Akshay’s hits, one could not help but notice the smile on his face, as he remembered each step to his stardom. In fact, a dense crowd had gathered outside the venue Famous Studios, Mumbai, all of whom had just come to gather a glimpse of their favorite star. Akshay, you truly are a super star.
Reds and whites dominated the screen this Friday on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. The theme was “Pyaar, Ishq aur Mohabat” and no one seemed to mind the fact that it was the elimination Friday. Last week’s controversial episode seemed to have taken a back seat, had Aditya not mentioned that last week’s votes would be added to this week’s total. This is something that has happened for the first time on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Add to this: apna voting lights had disappeared. So no red, yellow, green lights any more. There was a big globe-of-fortune instead, that shuffled and finalised the performer who would remain in the team. Trust us, the lights may have changed, but the pain of losing a member always remains – especially since each of them is a talent ka nuclear bomb.
After Poonam and Mauli’s performance, when Amanat sang his bit and won a huge applaud from the judges, Ismailji commented “Baal ka boojh kuch kam hua toh achaa gayaa” (Now that you have cropped your hair and taken a big load off your head,you are singing well.) You should have seen the look on his face. Embarrassed red!
Confession time: Our dear Aneek has a girl friend. He made an open confession about it but dare he slip her name. Initially when Himeshji asked him whether there was any chakkar in his life, he flatly refused. But later, he not only confessed it, but also wanted Himeshji’s blessings. Blessing he did get, not just from Himeshji, but also from Bappi Da, who sang a song for him.
The whole atmosphere was amazingly light when Raja stepped in. But when Vishal made a statement that in comparison to Aneek, Raja had now become the number 2, and that he needed to compete strongly against Aneek, Ismailji lost his cool. Vishal clarified that what he meant was the ongoing “better performer” battle that Aneek and Raja, very sportingly maintain. Ismailji, unmoved, said that “these two are not the only members in the team and the others are equally important. Kya gussa hai boss.
Poor Junaid! Since the last three weeks, he was down with a throat infection. But that did not show a bit in his performance. What a performer! As someone rightly said “the show must on” and we could not have found a better example in the episode. When it was declared that he was eliminated from the show, one could not help but remember how many applauds had Junaid won for his voice, right from veteran music composer Rakesh Roshan who said that “Junaid’s voice reminded him of Mohamed Rafi” to Sajid Khan who said “If your voice was on a CD, I’d sure buy that album.” Well fans need not be too disappointed for duo Vishal Shekhar have decided to cut an album with Junaid’s voice. Fans, be on the look out.
On Public Demand - Request your favourite Performances in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa
We have started a new section in website for accomodating the requests that were coming in to for videos of your favourite performances in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa . Watch some of the most popular videos that were requested through email in this new section . If you want to watch a video that is not in our website , send in your request to zee.saregamapa@rediffmail.com or response@zeenetwork.com . Watch Junaid Sheikh's performance in Salman Khan Special here.
Chat with Amanat Ali
King Khan meets Saregamapa Mega Finalists
Soulful Mussarat bids a good bye
Indian Shakira exits
Amanat, not Raja – the number 1
Heyy Babyy Akshay
Junaid may cut an album soon