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Passport to success

`Indian Idol' finalist N.C. Karunya pulls all stops for hometown support

SINGING SENSATION Karunya is looking to rake votes from down south

The jury members of Indian Idol 2 — Farah Khan, Sonu Nigam and Anu Malik — have given their verdict. They root for N.C.Karunya to win the Indian Idol title. Farah Khan, in particular, considers Karunya a talented singer compared to his competitor Sandeep Acharya from Bikaner. But gauging by the direction in which many talent shows have been going, we know that viewers don't necessarily vote for the jury favourites.

"It's a scary thought. Though the judges are in my favour, the voting patterns will ultimately decide whether I win or not. Sandeep is very popular in North India and has been getting more votes than me," admits Karunya, who was in Hyderabad to campaign for support. Make no mistakes. Talent hunts are about big business, money and fame. And Karunya has been meeting bigwigs like Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy and actors Nagarjuna and Chiranjeevi to garner support.

Has regional bias crept into television talent shows? "I don't know why, but people prefer to vote for contestants from their region. It's not just talent that matters. I've been among the last three for five episodes. People in the South watch more of regional television than national channels. That explains why I've fallen short of votes. I'd like people to vote for me because I want to prove that singers from the South can make a mark on a national level," says Karunya.

If Karunya wins, he gets a one-year contract with Sony and can cut his own music albums. Meanwhile, offers from Hindi and Telugu films have already started trickling in. "If I win the title, I can sign other offers only after a year. But if there's a really good offer, I'll be allowed to accept it," he says.

The 19-year-old has put all else on hold for the contest and does regret taking a sabbatical from his engineering course. "I haven't been able to study after the first semester of the third year. I've been a meritorious student and put in a lot of effort. I feel bad that I couldn't continue my second semester. Winning the contest will make me feel much better."

For now, Karunya hopes Indian Idol will be his passport to fame and knows that each vote counts.

SDK

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