Kashmir’s version of Indian Idol, ‘Miley Sur’, turned out to be a stupendous success. SHUJAAT BUKHARI
Stunning performances by Kashmir’s four promising singers – including a girl – at the jam-packed auditorium of Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) this past week before a cheering crowd marked the culmination of the ten-month long Miley Sur programme by Doordarshan Kendra, Srinagar. Terming it as the Kashmir version of “Indian Idol”, Doordarshan’s director, Shehzadi Simon, said, “It has opened a new chapter in Ka
shmir’s small but vibrant entertainment world.”
The programme drew overwhelming response as all the seats were occupied much before the event commenced. Shameem Azad, herself an ace singer and a household name in Kashmir, presided over the gala event where Bollywood actor Sanjay Khan was the Chief Guest.
As each of the four finalists Wasim Akram, Irfan, Yasir Bashir and Shazia Bashir were introduced, the crowd erupted into joy shouting slogans, “We have been watching them for 10 months and were waiting for this great day”. The massive turnout threw up many questions as people have been virtually banned from attending such events. When a TV channel organised a talent hunt event two months back, edicts were issued to people not to participate in the same. Sanjay Khan could not resist saying, “by watching this great programme for over two hours I simply could conclude that Kashmir is normal”.
Splendid journey
Miley Sur’s short but splendid journey began in September last year when DDK invited entries for talent hunt to select Miley Sur Samrath and Miley Sur Malika. “We were flooded with entries but then we decided to stop at 250,” says Jagdeep Singh, its producer, adding, “Every week we would telecast the programme with some new additions in both Hindi and Kashmiri songs”. When they threw it open for SMS poll the highest number was pegged at 11000 votes for one of the contestants.
According to Singh the programme had the highest TRP ratings with feedback from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and other parts of country. The response came even from Pakistan as the programme was telecast on DD’s satellite Kashmir Channel. Hawa Bashir, Gurmeet Kour, Qaisar Nizami and Mehbooba Wani were the judges. And Shakeel Shan, proved to be an able anchor for the programme throughout the 10-month period.
Stealing the show
Though Mrs. Azad admitted that all the four gave dazzling performances, it was finally Wasim Akram and Shazia Bashir who stole the show. “I do not have words to express what I feel today. It is only the prayers of thousands of people who supported me throughout,” said Wasim. Likewise Shazia, a girl from a remote village in South Kashmir was in tears. “I would have never expected to top in such an event in Srinagar,” she said. But Sanjay Khan told them that the road for them is a long one. “I will surely recommend them for Bollywood,” he announced. Shameem Azad was equally encouraging. “This shows how much hidden talent we have in Kashmir and only thing is that whether you give it a proper direction”. She hoped that the duo gets the opportunity to perform outside Kashmir.
While the Airtel presented a cheque of Rs.one lakh for the winners, Soundrcraft Studios booked them for an album. And DDK quickly categorised them as Grade A artistes. “There is a lot more in store for them in the coming days and we are planning to make it a permanent feature to provide a platform for such a talented lot,” said Simon.
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