Creator of Musical reality TV shows Gajendra Singh is back with his new show Suron Ka Eklavya. This time the creator of shows like Antakshari, Saregamapa, Voice of India and Sur Kshetra has conceived a show on legendary singers.
Singh, who hails from Azamgarh, tells HT City, “This reality show is dedicated to stalwarts Kishor Kumar, Mohd Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. We have three gharanas on their names and contestants have been divided accordingly.”
The judges will be mentor of each gharana — Bappi Lahiri (Kishor gharana), Ismail Durbar (Rafi gharana) and Jatin Pandit (Lata gharana). The show will be aired every Saturday and Sunday from July 29 on DD National.
“Kishor da, Rafi sahib and Lataji are the foundation and pillar of film music. So, as per the format, contestants will sing the songs of these three legends in their signature style but in fresh voices and innovative ways. Like we say during the show — andaaz wahi, awaaz nai,” says Gajendra on phone.
Teams have conducted auditions in Lucknow, Varanasi and Noida to scout talent from Uttar Pradesh. “We have got some wonderful singers from the state. UP singers have always done very well in reality shows and are doing well in the film industry too. We have some eight singers who have reached top 60 in the audition round. Two of them are from the state capital and I hope to see one of them in the finals,” says the show maker.
{{/usCountry}}Teams have conducted auditions in Lucknow, Varanasi and Noida to scout talent from Uttar Pradesh. “We have got some wonderful singers from the state. UP singers have always done very well in reality shows and are doing well in the film industry too. We have some eight singers who have reached top 60 in the audition round. Two of them are from the state capital and I hope to see one of them in the finals,” says the show maker.
{{/usCountry}}Gajendra is completing 25 years in the business. “We launched Antakshari in 1993 and Saregamapa in 1995. Those were musical shows which later took the shape of reality shows. Then contestants were real fans of singers and stuck to their original tunes. It’s a different world now and one needs to change with time. Young singers today are very creative and sing new versions of those old classics. That’s what we are going to see in the show,” he says.
During the show, they will show audio-visuals, song trivia and stories related to these singers. “We are trying to bring living legend Lataji to the show. She has blessed us during the Voice of India finals and we hope to have her this time too. We will get members from Rafi saheb and Kishorda’s families too,” he adds.
On why not other singers like Asha Bhonsle, he says, “That will be for the next season where we may have gharanas like Manna Dey and Mukesh.”
Any plans to visit Lucknow? “I have not come there for almost a year. I could not make it during the auditions also. I am looking forward to come soon and take blessing at Deva Sharif,” says Gajendra.