#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