Groomed for the big league
With no double entendres, cheap jokes or tears the Star Singer show for kids has turned hugely popular
Teamwork The success of the music show is largely because of the camaraderie between the contestants, judges and the host
No kids’ stuff this, all will agree, if you have watched Munch Star Singer shows on the Asianet channel on weekends. What differentiates this programme, featuring children, is that there are no SMS saviours for those with lower marks. The judges’ verdict is final. The TRP ratings are high too — 13 plus — market, says B.S. Praveen Kumar, Chief Manager (PR and Telecast) of Asianet.
The rounds are almost over. With six participants vying for the prize, a Rs. 50 lakh flat, these kids are giving their very best. Athira Murali, Binduja Menon, Shwetha, Sadhika, and the two Vishnus, Vishnu Krishnan and Vishnu K.G.
Huge opportunity
Says singer G. Venugopal, one of the three-member panel of judges, “That children from the interiors of the State are given an opportunity to showcase their talent is the best thing to have happened. Kids come from Kasargod, suburbs of Kozhikode, Malappuram… In my days, only those who stayed in cities and especially in Thiruvananthapuram had the opportunity to test their skills. With these reality shows, anybody can get exposure, if he/she is good.”
The present crop of talent is making news for their simplicity and spontaneity, he feels.
Of the four girls and two boys who are competing for the honours, the youngest is Athira Murali, a Class VI student from Punalur, who lives in Thiruvananthapuram now. “I started learning music right from UKG,” says the 11-year-old singer. Her father is an instrumentalist, who plays the tabla and keyboards in the famed Nadabrahmam Orchestra.
Her highest marks were 86 in the duet round, for singing “Alaapanam” from the movie “Gaanam”. Her pleasant disposition, easy rendition, plus a sweet voice are her assets….More
