Unearthing young musical talent from the diverse corners of the country and giving them a national platform to showcase their skills is a laudable initiative that has been gaining immense popularity and has drawn huge traction. Among the most watched reality shows is the ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV and ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’ on Zee TV followed by a host of others like ‘Singing Superstar’ and the MTV’s show.
Early on, we’ve been hooked to the ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’ (SRGM) on Zee Bangla, the Bengali counterpart on Zee TV. Bengal, has traditionally been the home of legendary poets, singers, composers & musicians, famous both in Kolkata and Mumbai). The Bengali SRGM does a great job in it’s talent hunt and provides a magnificent platform to begin their careers as professional singers. This comes with a stunning orchestra and galaxy of musicians performing alongside and suave anchors like star-actor, Abir Chatterjee !
As veteran music buffs we’ve felt that it consistently brings on board prodigious young talent & singing prodigies who exhibit an amazing range of skills on Zee’s big stage. As back-up, after the elimination rounds, the team prepares the chosen contestants with training to hone their skills & smoothening out rough edges through its musical experts. In a high stakes music contest, the competition is extremely tough but what’s heartening to see is the camaraderie & bonhomie that binds the youth into warm friendships !
Despite this, SRGM has developed an aura of a grand spectacle replete with celebrity culture and enlarged panel of eminent judges from the music industry. In the on-going season, there are as many as nine judges (five would easily do !) who present a highly imposing force for a young contestant to reckon with. There is now a trend of calling the judges as ‘legends’ but are there any real legends left in Kolkata or Mumbai’s music world ? Of the best of singers today, the amazing Shreya Ghoshal still maintains her humility despite great fame while Arijit retired from politics of playback !
Another irksome feature is using the SRGM platform for promoting the music & songs of some of the judges from their newly released films. At the start of every show, one or the other judge is on the stage singing, whereas these famous artists have their own shows for their craft. Yes, worthy judges giving their points of view and showing the finer nuances to the budding singers is laudable. As viewers, we want that most of the space and time should be for contestants and not judges and celebrity guests !
SRGM is universal in its appeal and singers are allowed to perform in both Bengali & Hindi. Pure nostalgia when beautiful fresh voices and personas render melodies of the golden era and continue the legacies of true legends ! SRGM is on the air till late night every weekend and is such a refreshing change from the disturbing ‘Breaking News’ !
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