Ananya says No to Girl Participants

Ananya says - Girls should not participate in Indian Idol at all

By - Surya Praphulla Kumar, Indian Idol Official Website

When Ananya came to Indian Idol, it was with a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Not only did she have to keep up the good name of her family, but she also had to make a name for herself—so that people would know her not as Pandit Birju Maharaj’s pothi, but as Ananya Mishra the singer and performer.

And with standing ovations, exemplary comments from the judges and a flawless gala performance under her belt, the last thing on this 17-year-old’s mind was an early elimination. I caught up with Ananya soon after her vote out and she talked about her journey so far, the friends she will miss and her future plans—all through a veil of tears.

Were you expecting such an early vote out?
Never. Definitely not so early on in the galas. If my elimination had happened during the piano round, I would not have been so upset. My third performance was not so good, it was not my kind of song either.


But my first gala performance was one of the best. Everyone—the contestants, the judges, the Idol crew—they all told me that. The song Hum dil de chuke sanam was such a difficult song to sing live on stage.


Who did you think would get voted out?
When Mohit Lalwani and I were in the bottom two, I thought he would go. Not because he is a bad singer, but because in the gala my performance was far better than his. When Hussain and Chang had asked us to choose a side, I chose the safe side because I was so sure that I would be safe.


How do you feel now?
I feel bad and angry. I don’t think I deserved to be voted out after such a good performance. I’m also angry with the janta because I don’t know what they are looking for in a singer. Whom do they want as their Indian Idol? It doesn’t look like they want good singers. Now I’m worried that they will vote out good singers like Bhavya and Shini Kalvint , too.


I’m also feeling very sad that I cannot perform in the next gala. I have not danced on the Idol stage so far and I was going to surprise the audience with three dance performances.


Did you talk to your parents?
Yes, I called up my father immediately. I am very close to my father. I share more things with him than my mother. And he was very, very shocked. He was like, ‘Hello, what happened.’
When I had decided to participate in Indian Idol, my dadaji and nanaji were like why is she doing this. Why does she have to go participate in a reality show. But I wanted to make a name for myself—not as Birju Maharaj’s pothi or Om Prakash Mishra’s beti, but as Ananya Mishra.


Did the judges talk to you?
Yes, they all talked to me off stage. Annuji even pushed the camera people away and said, ‘I am not saying this for the camera. Tu che mahine rok, mera call ayega. You’ll sing for me. You and Bhavya are two of my most favourite singers.’


What do you plan to do now? Will you continue to sing after this?
Yes, I will definitely continue to sing. I am a trained gazal and tumri singer. I used to do performances with Gulam Ali Khan saab and others. I am a professional singer.


I had come to Indian Idol because it was a completely different platform. And you also gain fame really fast here. But it’s ok. Agar yeh nahin, tho kuch aur sahi. Now, I’ll go back and get on with my life, my singing and my dance. And I am sure the fame I’ve gained here will help me with my future, too.


Will you come back to Indian Idol or participate in any other reality shows?
No, I won’t. I feel in reality shows, ek kalakar ki koi izzat nahin hai. I don’t know what the viewers are voting for. In fact, I think girls should not participate in this anymore. The first three Idols were boys and I know for certain the fourth will be a boy, too. So if the janta only want to see boys winning, then why should the girls participate at all?


What will you miss the most in Indian Idol?
Remo and Bhavya. They are my best friends here. I’ve shared so many good times with them. Remo, who is older to me by two months, was crying like a baby when they announced that I was voted out. I will not lose touch with them. I will call them up everyday from now on.

Ananya Mishra deserves to be in Indian Idol 4

It is really shocking to see Ananya Go from Indian Idol.

A shocked and disappointed Ananya Mishra speaks out after getting eliminated from Indian Idol 4...

Ananya Mishra, the very talented singer was eliminated last week in the First Gala of Indian Idol 4. Here is the girl talking exclusively to Telly Buzz soon after she got ousted; expressing her dissatisfaction over viewers’ votes, and that she surely deserved to stay in Idol.

You are the first contestant to get evicted from the Galas. Did you expect this?
Yes and for this I am really feeling bad. They have lost one good singer. The judges always used to compliment me that for a 17 year old, I was extremely talented when it came to singing and sense of music.

I sang the most difficult song, the title track of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and faired well, and now I am out of the show.

Why did you want to be on the platform of Indian Idol? Whom did you speak first after your eviction?
I thought this platform would give me more fame and it has done just that. I’m happy that I took the chance of coming here. I still remember that I was in a mall with my friends and saw the audition taking place. I went there and gave auditions for fun, but got selected.

After eviction, I immediately called my dad as he has always supported me. I felt really good after talking to him.

What according to you went wrong?
I think it was audience voting that really went wrong. I gave my 100% and was confident of being there till the end. This time all 5 girls out of 6 were in bottom and eventually I got out.

So do you see a chance for a girl becoming the Indian Idol this year?
Well, with the start the girls have got in the First Gala, it seems more likely that a guy would win again. I really don’t understand why every time a guy is only given the tag of Indian Idol. We have seen this trend for three seasons now, but I truly wish that a girl wins this time. We also work hard and put in the same passion as the guys do, but still end up getting less votes from the audience.

What do you think is the reason for fewer votes?
To be frank enough, I don’t have much idea but as per our assumption, female fans vote for male contestants. On the other hand, not many men are open to spending their time in voting for girls. Thus we don’t receive many votes.

What was the reaction of judges’ on your elimination?
They were confused and angry too. Javed ji said that Yeh kya vote kiya hai… Annuji also consoled me and promised that after six months I will get a call to do a playback for him. I know I deserved to be in the show, but due to the mistake of viewers, I have lost the chance.

What will your next step be after this?
I will go back to my home town and continue with my stage shows and Kathak classes. Alongside, I will do Bachelors and Masters in Music.

If you get a chance to come back in the show, will you bag it?
Of course! I would come back and prove my self and tell the viewers that what they did was wrong, as I deserve to be there in the show.

Reporter and Author: Rachana Trivedi

Ananya Mishra : I was a bathroom singer

This interview is taken from sify.com . Please visit their site for more juicy information.

Annu Malek called her a koel, but she feels she has miles to go before her singing can be termed fantastic. A dancer by passion, this petite beauty is determined to prove herself on the gala stage. We catch up with Ananya Mishra before the shooting for the galas begin.

How does it feel to be in the galas?

It feels really, really good. From the very first day of Indian Idol we’ve been waiting for this day because the galas is such a stage where you get this sense of confidence—if you have reached so far, then you have potential and ability as a singer. So I am very happy. But I am also tense because the competition is going to very fierce. The remaining 13 are very strong contestants.

Until now I’ve not been very satisfied with my singing or my performance. My rehearsals go off very well, but on the stage I see to lose control of my voice. I don’t know why. So as a singer I feel I need to work harder still.

Who is your toughest competitor?

If I look at my competition as far as singing, personality and performance goes, then I have to say that Bhavya is my toughest competition. I like her looks, how she sings and she is a fantastic performer.

Now that you''ve had a makeover, do you feel more confident?

I''ve never felt I look good. [Laughs.] Though everybody tells me otherwise, I’ve never believed it. But after they gave me my new haircut—they gave me a lot of layers and some new highlights—I feel I look much better.

How have you changed as a singer and as a person after you entered Indian Idol?

I am not a singer. I am a dancer. Until now I’ve only been a bathroom singer. So my experience on Idol has really changed me. Now I am totally focussed on my singing—I get time to think and reflect on it. I feel I am more dedicated towards it now.

I have changed as a person, too. I come from a very traditional family and this is the first time I am meeting with people from all over the country. At first, I never used to mingle with anyone, but now I bond with everyone so well. If I don’t see Bhavya or Remo, I go looking for them.

Who is your favourite judge? Why?

Everyone has supported me a lot. Especially Annuji. When he sang for me, it was a dream come true. Until then I had only seen him do that for others on TV. So he is my favourite.

You have become small celebrities already. Has that affected you in any way?

Honestly, this is not new to me. I’ve had this happen to me since childhood. At my concerts people would always chant my name. But now all of India knows me. And to have a name for yourself in a city like Mumbai, which is full of stars already, is amazing.

Also, my responsibility has doubled. I come from a well known family and I have to uphold their name.

The galas are going to be tough. How do you plan to tackle the competition and get more votes?

As I am a dancer, I can perform better. I haven’t been doing it so far, but come the galas I will try to be different. My voice is very thin and more suited for romantic songs. But I will try to sing different songs from now on.

Who do you get along with the best among the Top 14?

Bhavya. She is a very good person and she is very like me. Both of us are very serious about singing. But I enjoy the most with Remo. Though I talk to Bhavya, it is mostly about music. So when I want some masti, when I want to be like a child, I search out Remo.

Is there anyone here who you feel doesn''t belong in the Top 14? And if you could bring back an eliminated contestant in his/her place, who would it be?

I wouldn’t want to throw anyone out. But I would like to bring back some people—like Ali, Sourabh and Roshan. They were really good singers.

Why do you think we should vote for you?

The people have voted me into the galas because they think I have something in me. And in the galas they will see something even more. I will perform now as I did before Indian Idol. And, trust me, it will be really different from the rest.

Ananya Mishra in Indian Idol 4

Indian Idol 4 Contestant - Ananya Mishra

Fast Facts :-

Place: Varanasi

Ananya is Pandit Birju Maharaj and Kishan Maharaj’s grand daughter—music and art run in her blood. She has trained professionally in singing and has won various music contests across the country.

Apart from being a good singer, Ananya is also a remarkable Kathak dancer, a music composer and plays the tabla. This young girl has a golden voice and the right attitude that won her the judges’ hearts instantly.

Trivia :-

Ananya means: Infinite. My father named me

About myself: I rehearse dance in the morning and singing in the evening. I am also a very confused person

Family: Parents, an elder brother (10 years older) and a younger sister. I am closest to my father. My first guruji is my father

Fear: Ghosts

Nickname: Shivvie

If I become the Indian idol, I will: Open a music institution for my father

Favourites :-

Colour: Red and pink

Actor: Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan

Actress: Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherji