Sa Re Ga Ma Pa '09 winner unplugged

Vaishali Made is the second contestant in a row from Himesh Reshammiya’s gharana to have won the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge. Rachana Dubey speaks to the winner...

On Monday, two days after her big win, Vaishali Made is at a temple offering prayers with her husband. She insists that she couldn’t have won without her husband and mother-in-law’s support.

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Made is the second contestant in a row from Himesh Reshammiya’s gharana to have won Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge. Last year, it was Aneek Dhar.

Success mantra?
What’s her secret? Pat comes the reply, “You’ll have to ask Himeshji that since only he knows the secret mantra. I believe deserving candidates should win.. no matter which gharana they’re from.”

Made is one of those rare female winners of a singing contest. She believes her achievement will inspire more girls. “Boys have won 90 per cent of such contests but girls have been equally good if not better,” she asserts.

Made, who is a shishya of Pandit Ajay Pohankar, will continue with her classical riyaaz and live concerts. She relates an incident when she sang for an album.. the songs were later re-recorded by another singer.

So unprofessional
Made refuses to name the composer but complains, “He was very unprofessional. Had he informed me that he wanted to replace me, I wouldn’t have felt so bad.” The singer has since grown wiser. Now, she refuses to dicuss work till the album is out on the shelves.

So far, none of the mahagurus of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.. have offered her work.. but Made claims that several musicians have taken note of her talent.