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Wielding the power of SMS

When the names of three contestants up for elimination on Star Voice of India, a popular music-based reality show on Star Plus channel, were announced last week, the judges, especially playback singers Alka Yagnik and Abhijeet, were shocked. “They are the best singers in the whole programme,” said a visibly upset Alka, referring to Toshi, Harshit and Abhas.

Toshi was knocked out because the least number of people voted for him. And this is what frequently happens in music contests on television, when the public is entrusted with the task of identifying the best singer.

“It is extremely unfair on the talented singers,” says a well-known playback singer in Malayalam cinema who has been a judge of a reality show on a Malayalam channel. “It is frustrating for the judges too. People vote for a singer mostly for reasons not musical. If you are glamorous, you will get votes. And television channels keep some singers on the show just because they are good-looking. The only way out, I feel, is to give the judges some rights.”

P.K. Ajith Kumar

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