#14: My Farewell...

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]




I knew it was coming…call it instinct if you’d like. A lot of things than were happening to me that entire week told me I was going to be out next. Seriously.

The week after Sooraj was out my performances and I was criticized like never before. Right there on stage in front of everyone. That itself gave me some negative vibes of what was comgin ahead of me. Then after weeks and weeks of making Rahul Chettan (our Production Manager) go behind the accounts department for my Ticket fares, I finally get it in hand. All at once. I was like…ok…I guess I’ve become too expensive for them now…hehehe! [people…theses are purely my assumptions ok…:-) ] Then I took a looot of time to select my solo song for the next week, and for the first time I selected something that I was not all that comfortable with …I have no idea why!

Then we had a grooming session with Shyam sir after a long time that week, where he asked us what problems we faced. And Anand and I were the only ones to open our mouths. I told him all what I felt was a problem for all us contestants in general. After that session my doubts about my elimination that week got stronger. Praveen & Anand told me to shut up and that I had no better work to do…but I still felt like this time my gut feeling was going to happen.

That was the first elimination week I had someone from my family to watch me perform my sweetheart of a cousin sis, Rohini. The last time my family (dad & mom) came to watch an elimination round on Indian Idol …I fot eliminated…so again I assumed the same was going to happen. Rohini was almost going to slap me when I told her that!

By the time I had finished singing my first song on that shoot day, and knew I was in danger, I just confirmed it my mind that this was it Rashmi…get ready to say Bye Bye to this stage! I even sent a message to my dad telling him that my trio performance for that day would most probably be my last performance there…truly last!

I was just gearing my self up for that part of the evening. I sang Randaka (my last song) with my fellow danger zone buddies, Subin & Amal. I had sooo much fun on that song!!! I guess I just wanted to give it my all. Oh …and one more thing the dress I wore for that performance, that green Kurta…that was the dress which I wore for my one and only stage performance on Idol…coincidence huh? :-)

Then shyama chechi called us. One by one every one else on the danger zone went back, Sub ingot the life line and then it was just me and my best buddy..Anand. I was like…damn this is hard…what if I don’t get eliminated and Anand goes out….Oh my God no..I won’t be able to take that either…in fact I’d rather take my elimination than his!! While all this went on in my head Shyama chechi announced my name. And I gave that “I knew it”: smile :) …well I did ...didn’t I??

Best part was my elimination speech, something I had been preparing for weeks. I was only 3 sentences through it and the great current in the studio goes out for like 10-15 minutes. Now you know why no one was crying for my elimination? 'Cause all of them got ample time to wipe their tears off...Hehehe! :-)

I have never made sooo many friends in so little a time in my life. No….not friends…they are now literally an extension to my family. And to think initially that I would be treated as an outcast (remember?). I was so wrong about what they thought about me. I have so many memories that I can cherish for life with all of them. They have changed a lot about me…my personality. I have even bettered my Malayalam with staying in TVM and conversing with all of them in my mother tongue! :-) And am I glad or what!!

For about a week or so I was in a hangover of SSG. Obviously…it suddenly hit me that I was no longer going to see all those faces I kept seeing week after week for so many months. I just got so used to it…I didn’t ever think that I would have to stop seeing them after some point. Only when you’re out of something that you truly loved would you realize what you miss. And trust me…I did feel jealous of all of them when the dance rounds started. It was my dream last year that I also would sing with all those dancers behind me on that stage…too bad it didn’t happen while I was still on the show….ah..by gones are by gones!

I miss you guys!! :-( …I wish each and every one of you the very best of luck for all your endeavors….and keep my spirit alive when ever you guys perform!!!!! :-)

I now leave all of you to enjoy the pics I clicked during my last few hours on that lovely set with my lovely friends…..

(some of the pics are out of focus and most have the red-eye...I know..bad phtography..but I really didn't have the time that night to adjust the settings on my phone :-( sowey! )

That's our dear producer...Sateesh Ettan

Our ever-loving and genious of a guy...Stephen Chettan..Mis you!

With my new found big bro...Ratheesh Ettan!

Mis this bugger...Praveen!

With my two nautankies...Subin & Amlu!

Jeetu mere Lal...mis you dear!

Sweet little dracu..hehe..yea that's what her friend's call her! :)

Laddu Kutti!!

Teena dear...

My faaav...Roopa chechi..Mis u sooo much! :-(

Kala Chechi...don't forget me!

Mis my chirpy Anand!!!

The lovely Sujina Chechi who supports us off stage.

And the ever-smiling Shyama Chechi who supports us on stage!

Coming up next: Amul Baby…



Till then Keep Browsing & Keep Smiling! :-)

Adios!!

SSG (space) Rashmi

#13: My Karthik at SSG

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]

To me he was the best singer among the male contestants at SSG. I loved this dude’s voice. Right from his second audition he has captured my attention. And from then on I kept wondering why his voice seemed so familiar to me. It sounds sooo much like my Karthik’s voice. Ok he’s not mine obviously.. hehe.. but still you know how crazy fans tend to get right? :-) Still guessing?? Our very own sunshine of a singer…Sooraj !!!

He was a very different personality all together. For all those of you who think he is a calm indivual…beware he can get really…I mean REALLY moody at times. And when he is angry…oh my God..that look he gives with his eyes…scary man!!! Sruthi and he used to get into theses teeny weeney fights quite often. It was always when Sruthi kutti was upset over something or the other and then Sooraaj would irritate her and then she would snap back…so that would hurt our man’s ego. Well these are what humans are meant to do now isin’t it?

Apart from that, he was one fun individual. Oh and naughty and irritating too. God… we all used to get so irritated when he’d start of with calling us.. “Di….di…..” and then when we turn to his call he’l lsing “ dingtakda dingtakada di di…dingtakada dingtakada di..di…” .. .Hehehe!! Once or twice even we tried it on him. But he was too smart for us!!! Don’t worry…mera number ayega!!! :-)

All of us had gone for his house warming in a mini bus and Boy did we have fun or what!!! It was in the middle of one of our grooming sessions and Sateesh ettan and surprisingly Stephen Chettan also were soooo cheesed off with our running away like that!!! But then again…if we didn’t have fun at that time…when would we have? They missed the fun… hehe! :)

I really don’t know why but I would never have felt more guilty in my life than I what felt on the day Sooraj bade farewell. That was the day I got saved from the danger zone with highest votes. To be honest I was shocked. I mean with Sooraj out there how could I have got highest votes? It still bewilders me. This is why they say luck is beyond anyone’s control. I don’t think SSG had shed more tears before that day. And poor Sooraj…I felt so bad watching him heart-broken. He had so many expectations. But then again…all of us should know that this is a game and we are the pawns. Like it or not!

I was really really shocked that entire night. Praveen and Jeetu did talk and calm me down but I was glad I was flying back home to be with mom and dad for a few days to help me get out of it. All of us were in a similar state…I mean we were like “The next thing we want to hear is Roopa chechi saying farewell…and then what’s the point of us staying here?” But like my dad always tells me…everything happens for a reason…and I also firmly believe that Sooraj definitely has something much bigger waiting for him and God just wanted to test how strong he was at that time, hence he had to leave us…but he will come back people…you wait and watch!! :-)

I wish you all the very best in all your current and future plans dear…even though you didn’t get to sing Karthik’s songs on SSG [thanks to sateesh ettan’s disagreement:( ] you will still remain my new found Karthik at SSG… da…da…dangatakada dangatakada da…da… Heee hee!!! Gotcha!!! ;-)

Coming up next: My farewell :-)

Till then…Keep Browsing…& Keep Smiling! :-)

Adios!

SSG (space) Rashmi

12#: Stylish & Sizzling Singer of SSG...

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]

When I saw her singing “ammaney” (an Arabic song by Diana Hadded) for her 1st auditions, I immediately had an image conjoured up of how she would be…talkative…smart…and a really good performer! Little did I know that I was in for a surprise regarding the former two matters!

The very first grooming through the melody rounds…through the performance rounds…she hardly spoke!! We all called her the smartest one of the lot… guess why?? :) ‘cause she was the only one who was savinbg her energy by not blabbering away! Hehehe…. Oh.. I still haven’t told you who this is yea…. Stylish and Sizzling singer of SSG…Sajla Salim..

It was not that she was an introvert or anything of that sort…she spoke to us… but only after weeks! By the time we hit the performance rounds she got the hang of our jokes and non-sensical talks…and contributed in her own little ways too!! :) I always wondered…how does a quite girl like her go up on that stage and perform like a Bomb??!! Amazing… split personality have we got here? .. Hehe… just kidding dear…

Her dresses were another attraction for all of us. Each time she managed to think of some different style and that too apt for the song she sang…apparently her aunt designs them for her…Great aunty!! :)

[What a coincidence..I am bloggin about Sajla..and her song “Oh January” is playing on my radio right this instance.. No jokes!! ]

I haven’t interacted personally with her neither, so if you ask me how much I know Sajla..I’d say…just as much as you guys do! :) But the day she got eliminated, that was when I was given my lifeline, I did feel bad for her…don’t know why…as in…maybe it was just ‘cause we both were the “performers” among the girls there and when she got out…I thought I’d be the next one. Well… I’m sure she is still doing a lot of stage shows…and seizes the audience with her super performances!! All the very best to you dear!

I hope you guys had a “mind-full” of entries to compensate for my loooooong absence :)

Coming up next: My Karthik of SSG…

Until then…Keep smiling & Keep Browsing!!:)

Adios!

SSG (space) Rashmi

#11: The "Rythm House" of SSG...

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]





A powerful singer…with a powerful voice…has a powerful rhythm sense… We’re talking about…Charu Hariharan!

This young lady is like any other seventeen year old…sweet, emotional, sensitive (at times to an extent where I told her I’d slap her if she thinks low of herself!!) and more than anything…extremely loving and caring. Once she gets attached to a person its very difficult for her to break free…she completely depends on you for moral support. She’s the kind who doesn’t realize her strengths at times and needs someone to really push her up from behind to keep her going.

When I saw her I didn’t think she would turn out to be so sensitive, but poor girl when I saw her crying the first time she messed up one of her melody rounds, I felt so sorry for her. And I couldn’t help but go and do my “counseling” bit (yea yea… I know I sound like a granny but …can’t help these basic instincts you see!hehe!).







Of course we all knew she was Arundathi aunty, the famous singer’s daughter, but very few of us knew that she was a Mridangist as well. And boy !!does she play well or what??!! Here’s a teeny weeny glisme of one of our grooming sessions I managed to capture with my cybershot. I’m extremely sorry for the bad lighting In the video…but the audio is good …atleast I could capture it (which even ATV couldn’t ..HAH!) Enjoy!




(sorry..but youtube is showing a slight problem right now :(...will upload it soon..and then put a notice...till then you can go to this website and watch it.. I uploaded it there. http://www.4shared.com/dir/5767869/6022b61f/sharing.html )

She was an ace when it came to “taalam” even Stephen chettan sometime’s asked her whether the Mridangam portions he set up were sounding alright or not!!

The most enjoyable time I had was when both she & Latha stayed over in my room at the hotel one night. You know how it is yea when girls stay over? Or maybe you don’t…either way you gotta experience it to know what I mean!! (all the ladies will be with me on this one right? ) OH MY GOD….those two kept irritating each other and laughing and giglling the whole night..and kept pushing me till I was almost going to topple over from the bed to the ground! Hehe! What fun we had! Miss all that now!! :(

Charu’s exit happened in a totally unexpected manner. Those of you who saw the show would have known I’m sure. But poor thing I mean…what could she have done? On one side she had a concert which was not confirmed for over months and then she got selected for SSG for which she had no clue she’s stay on that long, and then all of a sudden those people who wanted her to perform at an international concert call her back…and since it was a previously committed event…she couldn’t back out. After all she has to do her duty as a musician as well right? I know how terrible you felt about leaving the show sweety…and trust me…we all missed you as much as you missed being on the show!!

She came regularly to cheer us for a couple of weeks except those weekends when she was busy with college. We shared good times together and I’m glad to have interacted with her…I loved her attitude. Keep that spirit going on sis!! You’ll do wonders I bet!!! :)

Coming up next: ‘Sylish Sizzling Singer’ of SSG…




Until then…Keep Smiling & Keep Browsing!! :)



Adios!



SSG (space) Rashmi

#10: My Sharjah Buddy...

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]

You won’t believe but for about 4-5 melody rounds we sang one after the other or vice versa….and then once they started the “safe” & “danger” zone session… he kept falling in the danger zone when he sang before/after my performance.. hehe! And was safe when he didn’t! Like it was jinxed or something!! But still…those few moments before performing we always made sure that we wouldn’t be gloomy…and would be completely relaxed!! I used to make both him and Amal do mimicry for me…just before going on stage!! Yea…that was my way of keeping calm…

Not only was he a powerful performer, Deepak was also a very good friend. His best buddy Harib used to accompany him most of the time…and he also became really close to all of us. Although Deepak and I have never interacted personally all that much…we were there to help each other out…I know he was there to help me with my pitching and hitting those high notes…thanks a ton for that bud! :)

He was a very witty fellow and had real quick and smart answers to anything I asked/said! I remember that ragging session we shot…I was the one who started ragging him…and I had asked him whether he had some nerve twitching problem in his eyebrows ‘cause every time he sang he kept twitching one of his eyebrows up purposely!! And he was the one who told me to enact like an “ottagam from dufayi”!! That’s what I call ragging!! Hehe!!

His elimination was a very sad one indeed…especially when he gave such a brilliant performance with “Sree Lathikakal”…and looked dashing in that Black kurta of his. The minute he finished singing that song and after hearing the judges comment both Roopa chechi and I had a strong feeling that something was not right…we were hoping he should not be eliminated….and what we feared happened! The worst was…his calmness…he took it sooo well!!! I had nearly created a mini swimming pool with my tears while he stood there rock steady with that smile on his face. Amazing guy I tell you!

In a way he was happy he got eliminated at that point ‘cause he had his bunch of friends waiting for him in B’lore to join them at Infosys…and if he stayed on SSG longer…he would have lost that chance…well…everything happens for a reason now doesn’t it!

By the way those of you who are still unaware of the fact that Deepak and a few of his buddies from college have released an album called “O’live” please do download and listen to the beautiful tracks from that album…my personal fav is this one “En Nenjil”…where Deepak does the vocals for the opening stanza…brilliant stuff guys!! Way to go!!! All the best for your future projects my dear!!! Keep rocking like you always do…

Coming up next: The ‘Rhythm house’ of SSG!! :)

Until then…Keep smiling & Keep browsing!!! :)

Adios!

SSG (space) Rashmi

#9: Youngest Lad of SSG

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]

We both came from the same place…Palakkad. He is a smart young lad of 16…one with a gifted voice and a charming personality…Prasobh…the youngest boy on SSG.

Initially I thought he was very quiet and “to-himself” types, but as we got talking and BOY did we get talking…I realized that he was way mature for his age and had a clear idea of what he wanted to do in life. He worked really hard each week for the show and the poor thing had to cope with his 12^th grade studies as well.

We both had this nice long trip to Palakkad and then back to Trivandrum again one week….and we had soo much fun! You know 8 hours of traveling…if you’re alone you could go insane!!! We talked for almost half the journey, then the other half he browsed through my Creative Zen and then we dozed off. I did take some pretty decent shots of his on the train…you know me and my photography bug…hehe..it pops up all the time!!:-)

His best bud on the show was Amal.Oh God! The two of them together can bring the house down! I’m not joking people! Prashanth ettan, Prasobh’s elder bro was his inspiration. And the kind of relationship the 2 shared was that of friends. It was so nice to watch them talk. And if Prasobh’s a little down…more than pepping him up someone has to pep Prashanth Ettan up…its like we can actually feel like the invisible bond that connects the 2 of them. Amazing! Missed my sis (cousin) a lot right then!

When Prasobh bade farewell to all of us again he acted way mature for his age…and even though most of us were in tears he smiled all the way. Poor Amal was heart-broken to see his best friend leave. But I am sure that at 16 if this boy is able to sing marvelously…then he would be at his peak if he manages to keep up this work. And I do hope and pray he does. All the melodies he has sung on the show, “Sree Raagamo”, “Devanganangal”, “Pachamalr pole” and more, were my favourites. Especially the last song he performed “Satrangee re”.. oh my God.. I had goose-bumps when he sang “Mujhe Moth Ki Godh Mein Sone De…”.. what feel….and that too for a 16 year old to express it…Mind Blowing!! I love your dedication dear… keep singing like this…and I hope to see you bloom in the music industry someday…All the Very best… from your Chechi!:-)

I sure did miss traveling in the train with him. And missed him “passing remarks” during the grooming sessions. And missed pulling his legs. Well…good things never last too long now do they?

Once again I’m sorry for the delay of my post…but you guys would already know the reason if you read my previous entry ;-)

Coming up next: My Sharjah Buddy…

Till Then…Keep Smiling & Keep Browsing!!:-)

Adios!

SSG (space) Rashmi

Sorry for the interuption!!!! IMP!!!

Hello everybody....


I am extremely sorry for not having been able to post any entries for so many days, reason's my computer falling ill...yea.. its got a "virus" attack... so been taking care of it for the past few days... Just bear with me til lthe weekend.. and I promise I'll give you 2 or even 3 entires this time... Extremely sorry to keep you waiting.. but if you ned the posts...my comp has to get well soon!!!! :)


Adios....


Be right back very soon....

SSG (space) Rashmi

P.S: if you're wondering how I managed to put this up.....my luck that's all!! :D

#8: 'Power' of SSG

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]

The very first time I noticed her was for her 1st audition on TV. The girl with the “tough” voice! Although she sometimes sounded like a guy…I liked her voice…there was something unique…something attractive…and boy!! She is such a pretty girl!! Got all the features of a dancer.

Like I told you people earlier…Divya and I clicked right from our day 1 at the grooming sessions. We shared similar interests…loved the same kind of music…spoke hindi well.. [Ahem ahem!:-)] And…yea…we just bonded…don’t ask me why and how...theses are things one has to feel to know!

During the initial melody rounds madam was the most “negative” person around there. She kept saying.. “njna entha ivied cheiyunna”… blah blah… !! Argh!! I used to get soo cheesed off with her attitude. She used to have theses inferiority trips during our practice sessions…and I’ll have to go and morally boost her. She somehow felt she didn’t deserve to be there. See one thing was clear …I told her…not many of us were chosen purely on the basis of our talent…but we had some kind of charisma, rather portrayed some kind of spark during our auditions…which the other hundreds couldn’t.. That’s it… yes…we are lucky…But not less-deserving!!

Phew! It took a great deal of effort to get her out of her “inferiority trips”. But as we were heading towards to performance round…she began realizing her strengths and wanted to stay on to prove her talent. But the poor thing couldn’t stay on for long. She was the 1st to go out once our performance rounds began.

In fact I still remember how I felt during that elimination. In the morning we were all getting ready for our fist every performance round…and were pretty exited about it…but Divi was dull…I had never seen her soo gloomy before. We were taking a look at the new set put up…and as I approached Divi she turned around and before I could say anything she said “Rash…can I get a hug?”… I didn’t know what to say…I hugged herreal tight…and then she heaved a sigh of relief…and whispered in my ears that her yet another of her close friends passed away that morning…

I was speechless…there she stood…not one tear did she drop…and believe me...I wanted to scream out to God and ask him why he did some things to some selective people all the time!!! I mean… in our 2 months of acquaintance Divi had told me about her friends and how 2 of her really close friends left for the heavenly abode at a very early age…and this was the 3rd…why did it have to happen to her? And yet…she was soo strong… I felt terrible…I knew nothing I ever said would be able to console that deep wide hollow in her heart at that moment yet.. I wanted to make her feel better so that entire day I kept making sure that she was chirpy and bright…and never have a dull moment…

The performances got done with… Charu, Divi & me…we were the bottom 3 in the danger zone….and my heart was thumping so hard I could hardly hear what Shyama chechi said. I thought I would be out…and at the same time I felt heavy thinking about what if I was in and what if Divi left…I couldn’t bare that thought either! Finally I heard the name…Divya was going to bid farewell… I looked up at her and she was smiling…

She was prepared for her elimination…and then after thanking everyone she dedicated the song she sang that day to the friend who left her life…it was so touching…she was so brave…

The following week I missed her presence among us soo much! Then she gave all of us a surprise by appearing at our grooming 2 weeks later! It was soo much of fun… you guys remember yea..where all of us ragged each other?? What fun we had!! Then of course after a weeks gap she came back again…and this time…as an anchor!! Although she was critiqued by many for her “English” I loved the way she emceed! Her vocabulary is superb…naturally…that’s what a B.A English Literature student gives out! :-) I loved her spirit….and she was appreciated by many as “not giving up...and coming back on the show to support us”

Kudos to you babe…you know I love you don’t you!!! :-* I know you’ll do well in what you intend to pursue…and you’ll never let anything stir you…All the best sweetie!! I admire you a lot dear…miss you!! :-(



Ah…ok…I better stop…or else I might get too emotional…Hehe! Thank God this isn’t paper…or else my tears would spoil my write up if I cried…!!!



So that was my rock solid mate….one of my best friends on SSg….hope that insight made you guys happy… :)

Coming up next: The youngest at SSG…my Palakkad buddy…



Till then…Keep Smiling…& Keep Browsing! :-)

Adios!

SSG (space) Rashmi

#7: My B'day B'uddy!

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]

Born: 2nd November

Year: 1984

Place: Bengal… (or I am assuming so..hehe!)

Name: ……Of course you guys know who it is…or do you?:) Akash Talapatra



Yea that’s right…that cute…non-malayalee guy on SSG. The one who swooned the 3 judges during his 1st audition with “Om Namashivay” and 2nd auditions with his “ente kalbile”… it was so sweet!

He came in as a wild card entry sure…but he was one marvelous singer! During every grooming all of us made sure we made him sing a few lines of “Om namashivay”… it was simply out of the world! His hindustaani tips with Roopa chechi’s carnatic tips made our grooming sessions realy fun! And this was purely among us contestants only!:-)

The moment we started talking we clicked so well. It was almost as if we were some long lost friends! Divya and I used to keep teasing him about learning Malayalam just to impress his malayalee girl friends in B’lore! Hehe! Poor thing...every time he’d learn something new and then forget it by next time! There was this once when Praveen had painstakingly taught him how to vote appeal in Malayalam. But after his song Akash forgot a few lines…but he still managed to win the hearts with just his “please ennikyu vote cheiyanam”!!

The more I learnt from him how he struggled to learn music and how he never got enough support…the more I empathized with him and wanted him to stay on the show just to prove all those who picked at him, wrong! But my wish was not granted…he was the 4th to bid us farewell…and that was one bad Friday farewell! I cried like I never cried before. Akash was as calm as a cat…he didn’t even show one bit of emotion on his face although I knew how this hurt for him inside. And the more I saw him being calm and the more I thought about how he would have felt…the more I cried. I just couldn’t stop. Finally Jeetu and Praveen consoled me and brought me back to face the reality. Yea they did show all of my tears on TV and I did lose the bet to my friends about “me not going to shed tears on TV”… but what really upset me alter when the show was telecasted was some of the remarks I started hearing… “Oh… why was Rashmi crying so much for Akash?...I mean…does she like him so much? is there something going on between them??”.. PUH-LEEZ!! Can’t anyone have a “normal” friendly relationship in this world?!!

Well that was that… I did take a while to get over that elimination round but sicne the very next day Latha, Kala chechi and I took Akash out just to have fun…I became alright! Oh you know all of us went for this Utterly horrible..waste of money hindi movie “Victoria no:203”… people…take my advice… please don’t ever watch that movie… no no... Not the old version... I am talking about the latest one!!

Since the next week we were beginning the long awaited “performance” rounds I had something to look forward to. I still keep in touch with Akash…oh and I had mentioned his name during that “B’day” episode of mine…where I sang Nari Nareen…but yes…they edited that portion of course!!









I know he will do well in life…he has the talent and also the zest to “go for it!!” And moreover anyone who is born on 2nd November, (Sharukh Khan…Kunjaco Boban…umm.. Me!) all have a streak of genius in them and are born super stars…like it or not!! ;-) Hehe!!






Hope you guys are still with me…. Coming up next: the “Power” of SSG and one of my closest friends there too!!






Till then…Keep Browsing & Keep Smiling!!:-)



Adios!





SSG (space) Rashmi

#6: Ace...with Pace!!

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]

Shy…timid…and very quite…that’s the impression she gave me first. But BOY!! Was I proved wrong or what??? Her shyness was only portrayed on screen though!! Hehe…God! How many times I used to scold her and tell her to be bold on stage!!! Even her mom used to tell ’23 vayass aayittum…13 vayassaya oru kochinne polleyaannu avalde samsaaram!” Hehe!!

Still guessing who it is huh? Well she’s Kavitha Chechi…the 3rd to bid our team farewell. We got really close after the Onam Live show. She faced similar vocal problems I did. And she even gave me a few tips on how to use my falsetto when needed and stuff like that. I can’t really explain…but there was this sense of closeness I felt with her. Although I called her “chechi” she behaved like a little sis to me! Hehe….

Once she starts talking…my my…it’s faster than Rajdhani! Trust me!! And there’s this particular tone which she uses. Its not the Trissur style….but…she’s from Kondungaloor…but it’s real nice to hear her talk….the pace and the ace!!! I had heard later that she was once a news reader on some channel….now I know where you got that speed !! Hehe!!:-)

Oh and how can I forget…she dances so gracefully! There was this one day when three of us, Divya, Kavitha chechi and myself…we were dancing to some song in our practice room. It was fun! Since 3 of us were classically trained it was so nice to dance…and Kavitha chechi was the most graceful of the 3 of us! I wish she was there atleast for one performance round…I’m sure she would have enthralled all of us with her dancing skill!!

Of all the songs she sang…I loved the last one “Nila pongal ayelo” WOW!! It was superb….well the judges felt differently of course (tell me something new!! :-D ) And she was kinda prepared to be eliminated. Well her calm attitude showed that atleast…

She used to call me once in a while even after she got out…but poor thing since she is working she seldom gets free hours! God alone knew how she managed her work projects…selected songs…learnt them…performed…traveled…went back to her job…Phew!! And I thought only I was finding things hard!!

Its been long since I have heard from her….but wherever she is and whatever she does…hope she never looses that spirit I saw in her…hope she keeps singing….keeps talking (hehe!) …and keeps all of us in mind!

Miss you chechi….and all the best to you in life!!

Coming up next: My B’day Buddy…

Till then…Keep Smiling…& Keep Browsing!! J

Adios!

SSG (space) Rashmi

#5: The Little Darling & The Beautiful dame...

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]

Kavya Kutti….she was such an adorable kid! 16 year old…shy yet talkative…sweet yet strong voiced…and extremely loving! She was always pampered by all of us…like our very own little sis. I loved her voice and her style of rendering the songs she sang…it was different…hatke…unlike the rest!

More than missing her I miss her dad. Doctor uncle. He was our unofficial caretaker when it came to eating medicines for our cold/cough/throat problems etc. And trust me …Roopa chechi still remains his most ardent patient!! The amount of medicines he used to bring with him for grroming and most of it used to get over by the time shoot was done! Yea…not all of the contestants are strong enough you see. Hmmm not a good sign…but we’re glad we had uncle by our side! Hehe!

A smart, talented, bubbly, sweet & caring 11th grader…that’s Kavya in a capsule! It was sad we couldn’t spend much time with this little girl as she was one of the first to bid farewell to our team. But she was real strong when she walked off. A very graceful walk I must say. The other person who bade farewell was the most prettiest girl out there…Durga…

She was more of an introvert. Never really got the chance to interact extensively with her. And most of my conversations with her were “monosyllable”ic if you know what I mean! Well… since I don’t know much about her I can’t judge her. From what I gather is that she tends to remain to herself…but still keeps in contact with everyone. Friendly but not the “talker” …that’s all! But none at SSG can forget her beautiful hair…. Wow… she had long tresses that any girl would long for!!! I personally adored that!! She did have a sweet voice but somehow it failed to gain acceptance. Needed some more training I presume…

Too bad even she had to leave the show early….but I’m sure theses two girls must be so proud of what they had achieved and I hope they still keep us in mind…all the best to you both!!

Coming up next: My Sasikala partner…the graceful and timid one at SSG!!

Till then… Keep Smiling & Keep Browsing!


Adios!


SSG (space) Rashmi

#4: Onam Sandhya...Live & Exclusive!

[Discaimer: Those of you, who are new to my blog, please read the entries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thank you]




I had mixed emotions that week. I was happy that all of us contestants were together for Onam, celebrating…(even though the hotel sadhya was AWEFUL!!)…singing…and just having fun! But I was sad ‘cause my entire family was together at Palakkad enjoying my Achamma’s delicious food. Everyone, my dad’s brothers, their families , my cousins…everyone was there except me! :-(




Hmm so all of us were gathered at the rooftop of the hotel we girls were put up at. We had no idea what we were supposed to do. What songs we were going to sing. And also what exactly the show was all about! The only thing that we knew and were excited about was the fact that it was going to be telecasted LIVE!!




After a looong wait…and chit-chatting Sateesh ettan and Shan chettan came up and told us the songs we would have to prepare. Most of them were Onam songs, some popular ones..and some unfamiliar ones. I was lucky to get a song I knew and I was not alone…Kavitha chehci & Divya were with me. We got “Sasikala Chaartiya” from Devaraagam. I love that song…I had danced on it coincidentally for an Onam program back in dubai about 11 years back! Cool isn’t it? :-)




For two days all of us were busy preparing and practicing our songs and also helping other groups with their songs. This was where I got talking to a lot more of the contestants. Akash, Amal, Prasobh, Charu, Kavya, Sajla and Praveen. I enjoyed Amal & Prasobh’s company. They were the youngest…the “bindaas” types…and with Amal’s non-stop nonsense…you can never be gloomy!! Hehe!




On the eve of D-day we found out that the Super Dancer Finals were being held at the same auditorium where we would be performing the next day. We begged Sateesh ettan and Sujina chechi to let us go!! After a whole lot of persuasion they finally gave us the green signal…arranged for passes and we left for it. Well not all of us though… Roopa chechi & her dad, Prasobh, Amal, Rateesh ettan, Praveen, Anand, Kavya & her dad, Divya & her mom, Latha and later we were joined by Kala chechi (Latha’s sis) & her mom. We had fun cheering the dancers…yelling for our favourite dancer numbers…oh and clapping ahrd when the LCD projector screens showed clippings of SSG ads!!! We were the only ones in that auditorium who clapped for that ad…hehe!!! (Ok that was not funny rash!!). We had soooo much fun that night! Not everyone stayed till the end. Since Latha & I were not going back to the hotel and we had to be dropped at our respective homes (me at my uncle’s palace) we waited till Anand (the only guy who lives in Trivandrum and has a car!) left the show. Praveen, Amal, Prashobh & Rateesh ettan also stayed back. By the time Prashant was declared the winner…the crowd went hysterical and we felt it would be better if we left immediately or else we would be stranded amongst that huge crowd!! All in all that night was super FUN!! For that time I completely forgot that I was unhappy in the afternoon for not being with my family in Pgt!!





Next day all of us were excited and nervous. We were prepared with our songs but since we were not going to be in our cozy studio but in front of hundreds of people watching us sing…it was a bit scary for a few (and I speak for the majority). I personally was waiting to go out onto that stage ‘cause I love performing in front of huge audiences. That’s what gives me energy!! :-)




One by one we sang our songs…and well the show on the whole was not all that great..infact it was just average. I was glad my song went off well..and everyone said that the 3 of us, Kavita chechi, divya and I had great chemistry an we performed the song well! Thank God! But the general audience watching us back home…said they had to strain their eyes and concentrate hard on not changing the channel… hmmm too bad!! Well can’t blame anyone …it was the “first-time-ever-live-audience” performance for many…and you can’t expect us to learn the lyrics, the tune, and perform songs that we have never heard before within 2 days!! Ah any ways…by gones are by gones!

Take a look at this pic...I love it...something that I am going to treasure! It has all 21 of us..and you can actualyl makeout now how much some of us have changed...physically!! Don't ask me how though!! hehe!

Well… that was that. Onam Live got over. We were very happy with the show…enjoyed every minute of it…both on stage and off stage! Oh and the next day my trip back to palakkad was also one of themost memorable train journeys. I left with most of them in the early morning Parasuram express. And boy!!! Was that train crowded or what!!! We had fun …sitting squeezed by each other..and having people standing in between our legs as well!! Hehe…. What a sight it was!! I couldn’t wait to get back and tell everyone about the wonderful time I had that weekend!!



I hope you guys enjoyed with me as well!! From my next entry I would take you through my time with each of those friends who bid farewell to the show..one by one… down my lovely memory lane….!!



Stay with me folks!!



Coming up next: My experience with the little darling and the beautiful dame of SSG…



Till then…Keep smiling…and Keep browsing!! :-)



Adios!



SSG (space) Rashmi

#3: Melody 'Bytes'

[Discaimer: Those of you who are new to my blog, please read the entiries before this entry. The posts follow a reverse order so you would have to read the previous one's to keep the flow. Thankyou ]

“Would they like me??...would they talk to me??...would they think I have too much attitude just ‘cause I’m an NRI??...would they???”

This was what kept running in my mind the morning we had our very first grooming. Dad and I stayed at the hotel accommodation provided by AmritaTv. In the morning they had asked us to be ready by 7:00 and apparently a bus would come to pick us contestants up. Dad & I were ready and we went down to have breakfast. That’s when all the other contestants began appearing one by one. Only the girl contestants were in that hotel. The boys were apparently put up at some other place.

A tall, lean girl came up to me…smiled and said… “Hi! Ende peru roopa, entha peru? Ellaavareyum parijapedande?” Phew! I let a sigh of relief. As I finished introducing myself and getting to know a little about Roopa chechi, another girl came upto me and she began talking to me in English…and boy some polished English she spoke!!! Her name’s Divya, I had noticed her during the auditions thanks to her strikingly unique voice! She seemed like a smart and intelligent lady! The third person to talk to me was Teena. But once we intro’d ourselves I realsied that she is a little quite. Or maybe she is not comfortable talking away on the first day itself! Hehe!!

After waiting for an hour the bus finally arrived and took us to the AmritaTv studio in Karumam. Nice big studio it was. And that’s where we met the guys. Once there I saw Sruthi and Jeetu and then with them I began talking to the others…or trying to rather! J

Anand then came up to me and asked me if I had taken part in Indian Idol….oh kay…someone knows me!! Yay!! I was soo happy! J We spoke for a while and then this other lad came up and asked me where in UAE did I stay. I told him Sharjah and he was like.. “Hey I was there to ofor a while till 8th grade….do you know Lata aunty? She taught me music there..”… I was like “WHAT??? Lata Murli aunty??? Of course I know her.. we’re really good family friends!!” Wow …what a small world!! Oh by the way that young lad’s name is Deepak.

All of us were then taken in the bus to Kovallam, Udaya Samudra Beach Resort. That’s where we were going to be briefed. I was still yet to find out the names and other details of soo many more people. Well god alone knows how long I’d be with them so the sooner I get to know them the better! Hehe!! We had about an hour’s gap before briefing. So all of us ate and while the parents were busy talking amongst themselves the contestants were interacting with one another. I felt bad leaving my dad alone for a while ‘cause he also was new to the place but he didn’t mind! Sruthi and I walked up to this group where Anand was trying to make a few others sing a harmony. We also joined in…it was fun!! We were singing the AmritaTv anthem… lokah…samastah…sukino…bhavantu…! Each of us singing in parts! Anand and Deepak I had spoken to but the girl and the other boy I had just found out their names… Oh god!! I forgot.. what was it again? Yea.. Latha…and Praveen. Latha seems like a pretty talkative girl…but Praveen…hmmm…hard to tell…is he shy? Or does he think too much of himself?? Well too early to say anything…let’s wait and watch!

After the wonderful briefing we were taken back to the studio. Oh and we got the bad news that Swathy had to back out due to the clash between shoot dates and her school schedule. I kind of expected it ‘casue she had told me about it during the time we met for the 2nd auditions. I felt bad though. Was really looking forward to meeting her. And Kavita was taken in place of her. Then Akash, that sweet Bengali boy from Bangalore was also brought in as a wild card entry! So now we were 21 of us!

Once back to the studio the parents were asked to leave while we began our grooming session. While we waited for George sir to arrive all of us began talking to each other again. That’s when I found the names of all the other participants. Didn’t get to talk much to them since I was all the time with Sruthi and Anand right in the front of the class…yea we had chairs put up like we were in a class room and unlike the usual case this time we front benchers were making the maximum noise! J Hehe!

Our first day’s grooming with George sir went off really well!! He spoke to us like we were his close friends and made us feel extremely comfortable. Told us about all his experiences and shared some real valuable tips to help us improve our singing. He heard each of sing individually and analysed the way we sang it. Due to time constraint he could just hear a para but still the tips he gave all of us were awesome!

The we were waiting for “the moment”…..a glimse of Stephen Chettan!!! My heart was pounding!!! No jokes!! After a year of going “gaga” on his performances on screen…I was actually going to see this dude…forget see…I was going to be singing to his music!!!! WOOOOOOWWWW!!!!! AM I EXCITED OR WHAT?????? All the girls were going crazy while all the guys laughed at us! Ok he’s handsome so they were a little jealous I guess…hehe!! ;-)

We queued up for our turn to practice with him. I went in and saw him…the on and only Stephen Chettan. He looked up…smiled and asked me.. “Etha paatu?”… I was like.. “Eh?? Entha?” .. and kept giving those cheesy star-struck smiles! Then our Producer Sateesh ettan asked me again which song I was going to sing and I told him “Raakendu Kiranangal” . Apparently Stephen Chettan hadn’t heard it. I started singing and then he kept saying “Ah..ha… “..and “oh ..ho…” throughout and once I stopped he was like.. “what a composition!” … I smiled…thanked him…he wished me luck and I walked out again with that cheesy smile on my face! I saw Anand giving me that “how was it “ smile.. and I just said “ Man…HE is the most simple and down-to-earth…humble guy I have ever seen!!”… I’ll always treasure my first encounter with this musical genius!! J

That was the end of the first grooming session. Each of us kept listening to our first songs and yea… we got to know our singing order for the shoot…I was singing 1st !!! OH NO!!! great!! I was thinking to myself..”Don’t they want people to watch this show?? Why on earth am I going first???? Can’t the put someone else!!!”.. Well then dad was like.. the earlier you get over with the song the better.. atleast you don’t have to face the tension of listening to the others sing and then creat expectations in your mind!! Yea.. He was right.. it was better to get over with it!!



The melody rounds began…and week after week each of us got pretty used to seeing everyone every weekend and then went back to our respective homes during the week to practice. We just kept singing…judges came…judges went… we attended grooming…and every week we kept seeing the 21 bright ..talented faces! Until reality dawned… elimination week was nearing…

Every week Sateesh ettan used to give us the good news that no one would get eliminated that week. But then towards end of August there were rumours that The coming week there was going to be an elimination….and what was worse… not one person btu 2 people were going to get eliminated.



Time for a reality check guys…this is a relity show after all…and we can’t stick on to one another forever now can we?? Hmm…best thing was not to think about it. I tried my level best to keep the tension off everyone’s faces and minds. Little did we know that a really wonderful event awaited all of use before the week of elimination…..what was that???



Coming up in my next entry: Onam Live Show’s experience….the highs and the lows of that night will be out for all of you to read….just be little more patient…Hehe!! J

Hope all of you were with me…

Until my next entry….Keep smiling & Keep browsing!!!

Adios!

SSG (space) Rashmi

#2: One journey merging another...

As soon as I was done with II3, I had to rush back home to sit for my exams. Can you believe it I landed the morning I had my very first 4th end semester exam! I studied in the flight…no jokes!!God alone knows how I did that paper…when I walked into the examination hall I had all my classmates staring at me with the same expression on their face… “WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE …AND HOW IS SHE GONNA WRITE??” yea …well have to admit…no matter how busy I get with my extra-curricular activities I’m always on time to attend my exams!! And so far God has been kind to me and has giving me a helping hand through all my exams! Thank you God!! I love you for that!:-)



So like I was saying…I was just barely out of my Indian Idol hang over when my friend Nasreen tells me about “Super Star Global” and that they are holding auditions in Dubai for the 1st time and all that. Dad & Mom also re-iterated the same. Even though my instinct told me a “no more of theses!” I still wanted to go for it ‘cause I had always wished I was on that stage after seeing the super stars perform with Stephen Devassy….now Stephen Chettan on Amrita TV!



I decided to give it a shot. 22nd June were the auditions. I went in and saw George Sir & Gayathri Chechi smile at me. I sang “Dekh le” first…and after that laughter bit George sir asked me …”my dear…what did you just drink?”.. Hehehe!!! Then immediately I sang “Ennu varum nee” and Gayathri chechi looked impressed and within seconds I got the yellow card (I mean white & pink in this case!! Hehe). Well people please don’t think I am boasting or anything but I had kind of anticipated that I would at least clear the first round Auditions. And yea… when that happened I was kind of happy! :-)



Next stop was Trivandrum. Kovallam Beach Resort, 24th of July. And what a CROWD!!!!! Everyone there, were with mp3 players plugged to their ears and doing their “riyaaz” extensively. For the first time in my life…I got so scared! Not because I thought that I would not get selected (yea that was what came to my mind when I saw them itself!) but the fact that by chance…if God thought me worthwhile to deserve such an opportunity…then I would have to deal with these serious people??????!!! Oh My God!!!



The first day of the 2nd audition went off quickly. Dubai contestants went in first so I finished off pretty early. They had asked how many of us would be having trouble staying over for 3 months during the shoot of the show in Trivandrum itself, and the 1st hand to shoot up was mine. I told them I had college from September so it would be difficult to constantly be present. And they put a mark against my name on the list. That time itself I had thought to myself that they would not be selecting me. Simple!



Oh and how can I forget…my first ever friend on SSG was a person whom I had met and interacted for 5 minutes in Mumbai during Indian Idol… Jitendra Nath….yea most of you would have forgotten that’s his name… hehe!! Jeetu!! He came up to me and we spoke to each other and wished one another good luck. Apparently he felt I didn’t deserve to be out of Idol….but well..that’s another story!! Hehe!



Coming back… yea after my auditions (which most of you would have seen on TV…the one where Shyam sir, Shan Chettan, George Sir & Jyolsna were the judges) I came down and by then my mom had already gotten friendly with this very sweet aunty, named Sujata. Her daughter was also taking part. And once we got talking we had a few common friends in the family. They were settled in Trivandrum and her daughter had just finished 12th and was at that time planning to do Civil Engineering. Can you guess who that could have been? :-) ……Sruthi Jayaprakash! Once we began talking she seemed to be a very nice girl. Her audition was postponed to the next day so we wished her luck and bid farewell.



Another friend that I had made…well we just smiled at each other on day 1 and I told her that she sang really well for her 1st auditions…her Malayalam accent would never let out that she studies in America! A very sweet looking and ever-smiling girl… Swathy!



The next day I came just to have some fun. Seriously! I was so prepared not to be selected I brought my “HP & the Deathly Hallows” so as not to get bored. We waited all day for the results. Meanwhile I saw the camera guys and Shyama chechi following different contestants to get their bites for the show. They even came to where Swathy & I were talking and asked us what our anticipations about the result were. And yea we gave the usual… hoping for the best…(although I had already assumed and was sure of what “best” laid before me!)



Finally it was time for the results and trust me when I say this all of us contestants and our family members were squeezed together in a small area (actually huge but small for the enormous number that we were!) trying to get a peek at what’s happening at the centre. I’m sure some of you remember that scene where Shyama chechi was making all of us sing and dance…remember?



Sudhakar sir, CEO of Amrita TV, Shyam sir, George sir, Shan Chettan & Jyolsana came down after their 3 hour long discussion to select 20 contestants from around 170! They began calling their names and I was eagerly looking at who all were being selected. ‘Cause if any of my friends got selected then I could proudly say “I know her/him”!! Just then they announced Jeetu’s name. Boy!!! Did I make the people standing next to me deaf or what with my scream!!!!! I was clapping so hard for him…he deserved every bit of it!!! Cool….that’s friend number one!



They had called around 4-5 other names and then they called out Registration number 12… and I was like..”why does that number sound familiar?”… And then I heard my name…!!!! “Shit!!! I got selected????” I went and stood next to Jeetu and he was sooo happy that there was someone whom he knew among the 20! Hehe!



After 2 more names Swathy was called out and then Shruthi too! Wow! How cool was that!! All my friends got selected! And then I looked around if there was anyone else who got selected from dubai. You know familiar faces. But no. Again I was like!! “Shit!! I’m the only one from dubai?” God knows why I felt this huge sense of responsibility at that time. Among all 18 of us who got selected from Dubai, only two people seemed happy about my selection, Mithun & Vijay. The reason why I said this was none of the others came and wished me luck. And when I tried to look for some of them they had vanished. So well…that was the first ‘hit’ I got. I thought to my self… “Hmm all of their friends and families chances of supporting me (votes) on this journey are very less…ah well who really cares?! Dad n mom is enough for me!”



All 20 of us were briefed about the journey we were about to begin and asked to appear for our first grooming sessions about 2 weeks from then. We had a very brief interaction with the selected contestants. But I really can’t call it an interaction since the only other person I interacted apart from the people I knew was Anand Narayan from Bangalore. A smart young lad indeed.



Well we wound up and then I began passing this news of me getting to the final 20 of SSG to all my friends and family members! I was soooooo excited!!! Seriously even for Indian Idol I wasn’t so excited. I guess it was the fact that the stage I dreamt singing on last year was actually going to happen for real!



So that was my first step to this journey…. Hope you guys were with me entirely….and I hope my “bragging” didn’t bore any of you!! Do tell me if I did! Hehe!!:-)




Coming up next: Interaction with the top 21….yea there was an addition…who and what will be uncovered in my next entry…


Till then … keep smiling and keep browsing!:-)



Adios!


SSG (space) Rashmi

#1: Welcome Welcome Welcome!!

No no….don’t worry…you’re not reading a review of Akshay Kumar’s latest Movie…you’re very much on the page you’d like to be…SSG…My Way!!



As promised I am going to share with all of you some of those cherished moments with each and everyone at SSG….point to be noted… my take is purely on “Off-stage” happenings…and I would strictly refrain from personally commenting or hurting anyone’s feelings…be it the contestant’s or even the ‘respected’ judges! ;-) [Yea!! I know a loooot of you are more interested in the latter!! Hehe…sorry folks! Don’t wanna dig my own grave!]



For those of you who have read my earlier blog on Idol would already be aware of my “style” so to say…for all my new readers I extend my heartiest greetings to you people for having taken a few precious moments from your busy schedules to read my “blab la bla”ing!!  I am truly hounered!



Ok enough of all that “formality” now let’s get to business here!!



Over the next few weeks you I am hoping that all of those who have watched/are watching the show will have fun getting to know about my time with my friends on SSG!



To all my entries…please feel free to comment because, like I keep learning in media, feedback is essential for our every move!!


So once again…enjoy your time reading through!!


Adios!

Rashmi…. Nah this sounds like any other Rashmi right? Now I’m gonna make my own signature sign off!!


SSG (space) Rashmi (howzzat ??!!)