GANGTOK: If you have been watching he current Indian Idol, you would have noticed a certain Nepali-speaking guy who has made it to the theatre round in Mumbai.
Well, meet Prashant Tamang – a cop with the Kolkata police and from Darjeeling who has made the entire region of Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim by making it to the theatre round.
Prashant is an ex-student of St. Robert's, Darjeeling, who has already qualified for the Mumbai round and has reached the last group of 28, passing through 3 qualifying rounds in Mumbai. During the audition around in Kolkata, he said he was the lead singer of the Kolkata Police Band and his friends persuaded him to audition. He marched in the audition room and informed the judges that he was a Sipoy, originally from Darjeeling, the Tea Capital of the World! He sang well, and the judges thought he had the most interesting voice, they had ever heard that day and that he could be groomed and he was selected.
Well, meet Prashant Tamang – a cop with the Kolkata police and from Darjeeling who has made the entire region of Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim by making it to the theatre round.
Prashant is an ex-student of St. Robert's, Darjeeling, who has already qualified for the Mumbai round and has reached the last group of 28, passing through 3 qualifying rounds in Mumbai. During the audition around in Kolkata, he said he was the lead singer of the Kolkata Police Band and his friends persuaded him to audition. He marched in the audition room and informed the judges that he was a Sipoy, originally from Darjeeling, the Tea Capital of the World! He sang well, and the judges thought he had the most interesting voice, they had ever heard that day and that he could be groomed and he was selected.
After a long journey to 12 cities all around India, and London and Dubai, Indian Idol finally came home to Mumbai. The judges had short-listed 123 contestants who would try out in the theater rounds. The theater rounds have two sessions. In the first session, 60 people would be chosen from the 123. And in the second session, 28 would be chosen from the 60. Then comes the public voting stage.
The sixty selected contestants were paired off and given assignments. Most of them got along great except for little Richa, who turned out to be a big brat, and her partner Prashant Tamang, the police officer from Darjeeling. She was rude, and he took it like an adult. First she didn’t want to work with him and the judges had to get involved. Then she didn’t want to practice with him and her dad had to get involved. Then she went to another contestant for help and left him there to watch. The reason behind the attitude? Prashant is not trained in classical music and Richa was on a high horse because she thought she could sing better than him. Shreeju and Chirag may have been adults about their little problem, but Richa behaved like a child.
The sixty selected contestants were paired off and given assignments. Most of them got along great except for little Richa, who turned out to be a big brat, and her partner Prashant Tamang, the police officer from Darjeeling. She was rude, and he took it like an adult. First she didn’t want to work with him and the judges had to get involved. Then she didn’t want to practice with him and her dad had to get involved. Then she went to another contestant for help and left him there to watch. The reason behind the attitude? Prashant is not trained in classical music and Richa was on a high horse because she thought she could sing better than him. Shreeju and Chirag may have been adults about their little problem, but Richa behaved like a child.
Four judges—Alisha Chinai, Javed Akhtar, Udit Narayan and Anu Maliik—are sieving thousand to come up with the finalists. The winner will receive a contract with Sony Entertainment Television worth Rs 1 crore, which will catapult him or her into unparalleled stardom, fame and fortune.
This talented boy from the Hills lost his father when he was in class 10 in 2001. He quit School and joined the Kolkata Police where he has been working for the last 5 years. He used to sing from an early age, winning many inter-class singing competitions. He learnt singing from his late father, Deep Waiba, and veteran Nepali singer Pema Lama while studying at St. Robert’s.
Meanwhile, various clubs and NGOs from Rangpo have expressed their happiness over the selection of Prashant in Indian Idol, as perreports received. Secretary of the Cricket Alliance of Rangpo, Bikash Prasad has expressed full support to Prashant and wished him success and the Indian Idol crown. BK Sharma, Joint Secretary, Lions Club of Rangpo, has assured full support in voting for Prashant in the voting round. “Prashant is the pride of the Hills,” he said.
Meanwhile, various clubs and NGOs from Rangpo have expressed their happiness over the selection of Prashant in Indian Idol, as perreports received. Secretary of the Cricket Alliance of Rangpo, Bikash Prasad has expressed full support to Prashant and wished him success and the Indian Idol crown. BK Sharma, Joint Secretary, Lions Club of Rangpo, has assured full support in voting for Prashant in the voting round. “Prashant is the pride of the Hills,” he said.
