And I thought judging “India’s Got Talent’ would be easy !

I thought, hey ! this should be fun. Go in and sit on a chair and just say whether you liked an act or not, and get paid for it. I saw other directors do it and it looked pretty easy. Just shows how little I know myself. For all my writings on the search for the universal self I forgot my emotional self and how and why I am a director.
I just could not stop myself from getting emotionally involved with the contestants, their dreams, their lives, their courage in putting themselves on the line in front of the whole nation and face applause or ridicule.
I could not stop myself from admiring and responding from some place very deep inside me to those that came on the show with disabilities, for they mirrored my own, albeit hidden from view and without physical manifestations. I could not help responding to the humility with which many of the contestants presented themselves, sublimating their ego completely to their art, or their performance. And I could not help resenting the ego that we judges often showed as if the show was about us and not about the contestants.
I found a new India out there, and India that we in urban areas do not usually come into contact with. Our media ignores that India. This is the aspirational India, the India of laborers and artisans who came to the show with centuries of tradition handed down from generation to generation. It was Indians that live a life of economic and social oppression, and yet are able to find such dignity and art in their expressions. It is the India that seldom gets noticed and I thank the producers of the show for that opportunity.
I apologize if I come across a bit weepy and emotional on the show. Through this show I was reminded of my roots, of who I really am, and where my true beliefs lie. They lie amidst the humility of my people, my country.
And I thought judging a talent show would be easy !!!

52 thoughts on “And I thought judging “India’s Got Talent’ would be easy !

  1. ARE YOU APOLOGISING FOR SHOWING YOUR EMOTIONS??India is a country of emotions.
    I remember the first time I went abroad in the late sixties, I saw many wiping their tears as they were bidding goodbyes to their loved ones.I too wept unashamedly.As I got seated the person on the seat next to me, seeing me crying asked if he could help and I said no it was just that I was not going to see my folks for some months.You should have seen the expression of horror he had!! I only understood this when I saw the Airports abroad.Go ahead and show genuine tears.

  2. Your post really shows how much deeper connection with the contestant you feel during the show. Really, to see them, is to get the reflection of our being which we have forgotten in this so swift world. I feel, these things connect us in more spiritual manner.

  3. Business & Belief what works – The best is the root cause may be for ignorance of traditions but at the end we all love to love basics.
    I am sure we will surely arrive where we had the START once but may be it will be too late.
    And an old saying : der aaye durust aaye.
    Lets see…

  4. Mr Kapur , Aren’t you fraught with fear every time you have to take a call on the acts of the participants? Some of them so fresh and young that they won’t even have the courage to say to themselves…”that they are just three people and if they din’t like it that doesn’t mean my act won’t be liked by India” or “what does a director know of the effort that i have put behind my act” or “I have put my soul into this act ..it doesn’t matter what three smarties from city think of it”.
    Just putting my self in the shoes of participants I can tell you how important your words can be for them. When they have the courage to provide an astounding amount of confidence in them , they might even make someone give up.Humility has its dark side too..i guess.

  5. Shekhar,
    I watched you on „India’s got talent“ last night and without even understanding a word of Hindi I could feel the sincerety of your emotions towards the contestants. You understand their vulnerability on the way to the realization or crushing of their dreams and for most of them, a once in a lifetime opportunity to live their passion.
    It is very difficult to put your ego aside (especially for artists, as it plays a big role in believing in yourself and the need to share your talent with the world) and humbly present your deepest self for a billion people to judge. It is however just as or maybe even more difficult to open yourself to that one person you love whose rejection you fear most.
    I’m sure all of the participants had someone that loves them encourage their try out for the show and criticism can at least be softened by their caring embrace afterward. So don’t get too burdened by your role to judge subjective art as it is just that – subjective. The fact that the contestants can share their creativity and soul with such an audience, for even 5 minutes, is already a great achievement and better than not having that experience. That moment is what artists live for and can feed off of their whole life. You never know where that kind of exposure will lead them to.
    Knowing you it only makes sense for you to be so emotionally involved, as your depth and courage to be in touch with your feelings is what I admire in you. Don’t apologize for being you and the love you carry inside. Your sensitivity is beautiful.
    yours,
    sunflower

  6. Dear shekhar,
    Loved the post, Through this show we know you from closer, many of rural Indians haven’t heard much of you(I am also one among them). We had considered you as an intellectual film maker catering western, urban crowd (Masoom and Mr India being an exception). And now many of us know we were wrong, we understand that you are also an emotional guy with a heart beating for India, just like any one of us, loving India, being proud to be an Indian. Good to discover this side of Shekhar Kapur!
    ‘I found a new India out there, and India that we in urban areas do not usually come into contact with. Our media ignores that India.’
    Is it not true that beauty lies here?… in being away from media, being as innocent as a child? If the same group from jodhpur performing folk art…. was exposed to media… have had been commercial… they would not have been so sweet, the real beauty and the fragrance lies in their innocence, humility. Now its just passion towards art that drives them, their hearts are so pure, not occupied by thoughts of commercializing their art. They are the people dedicating their lives for this folk art… and the same will take them a long way. And what you said on the effect of live performance, yes no CD can bring those goosebumps like live performance.
    Enjoy the journey Shekhar, But I wish this show has more that winner, there are so many wonderful people out there, hard job to chose one as a winner…
    Wish you lots of joy. You judges are doing a great job, no ‘nakhre’ on this show.
    Love and peace,
    manju

  7. Shekhar,
    Don’t use word Judging,talent or not it is very subjective process.
    What I see you doing on the show is being your self and emotionally responding to each and every contestant.
    On the side I am also watching America got talent and to be true I feel India got talent has much more variety and diversity.

  8. NO you weren’t really Shekhar as you wouldn’t help anyway. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE 3 JUDGES FROM 3 DIFFERENT AREAS. Let one be from FILM ( which you fit perfectly as you did work from commercial to art cinema to Hollywood cinema to realistic cinema) , Let second be somebody like Hema Malini or similar who has the potential to judge properly as she belongs to one performing art field. Let 3rd be somebody who is a known performing artist or a craftsman like a Street theatre Artist or a YOGI or a snake charmer or somebody with whom rural Indian artists can relate to.. HOW CAN YOU ALL 3 FILMy PEOPLE CAN JUDGE A TALENT belonging to talents that has a vast variety. I think your perspective would be biased based on your experience of the art which is all filmy and that too, bollywood filmi (which is obvious to see) , so I guess producers of the show should change that for better understanding and concern. But YES, if it is just a show to make money than YES anything is possible.
    Please give a break to people who really admre this show based on what people show on this show and let they be judged based on their ART form not based on “ Kiran Kher lifting her dupatta” just because she finds it difficult to digest that particular art form. It is not a scene where you have to cry for….Sonali Bendre who has worked only with artists like Govinda is judging some body who is from rural India based on her emotions and perspective of that act at that time… ridiculous.. I mean artists are suddenly amazed and taken aback based on 3 film related art personalities which is not fair…I would say Dance India Dance is better atleast it is based on DANCE !!!
    Don’t take me wrong that they cannot judge.they can but only to shows that are auditioned related to Hindi Cinema..
    Anyway My point is “ Let India see that we are changing and let them see the art being judged the way it should be judged..”
    Manav

  9. Dearest Sir,
    I just saw today’s show and thought to write something about your reaction on some of the performances. As much fun as it is to watch these very fine performances by these very humble and very determined people, it is also amazing to see a great message conveyed along with it. Some of them who barely earn enough so they can survive, have managed to show an iron will having come on this show and made us, the people of India, forget our problems and worries and made us a part of their imaginations and dreams and feelings. It is certainly fabulous to be able to see the wonderful talents in our country. A matter of absolute pride and humility, as you said yourself in your message.
    It is always so wonderful to hear and see you commenting on their work. Yes, we all know that you are an emotional person, which I think most of us are, most of the Indians are I think 🙂 But please don’t get embarrassed if you get teary eyes because a lot of us did when we saw that certain performance with disabled artists. And they certainly did put up a fantastic show! I just want to say that it is always great to hear your comments because I always felt that you speak from your heart and your words are very pure, which is the most important thing. So, please continue judging the way you are doing, you are doing extreme well and I say this for everyone when I say that we are very happy to see you on this show 🙂
    Cheers,
    Siddharth

  10. I saw few episodes of “India’s Got talent”.
    Even I got emotional after seeing a few acts which involved risk of life. I felt that these acts were performed not actually to become next Indian sensation, but actually to reach public eye to get some more business so that they can make two ends meet.
    The pain in the eyes of some of the contestants was visible. Somehow, I fel that it was about feeding the family and not about talent. some talents were not hobby or passions but a necessity to survive. And it was survival of the fittest.

  11. Cannot believe you are apologising for being emotional Sir! In the world of fake emotions and maudlin melodrama..real emotions and compassion are rare!I am so glad you happened to Reality TV. Please be unapologetic about it!

  12. The talent on that show is amazing. I cried watching the Prince dance group, I have no words to describe what I’m feeling. I wish them all the best!

  13. Shekhar,
    The moment we lose sensitivity and compassion in our life…people no longer will identify with our work of art…Thats what I believe in. So its very important for an artist to be that way all his life. I’m glad that you din’t lose that.
    Best of regards!
    Sanjay

  14. Dear Shekhar,
    I was really shocked to see you as judge on one of these reality shows, which I think is the hot pan or cold celebrities. When coming down to a concept and a program like this its difficult to really judge which art form holds the cutting edge over another. I am sure as a director you must have crafted a few stories and plots. But I am sure the sensitivity and compassion has touched you, and am happy as it would radiate your growth of being a good person through a directorthrough a director.
    Regards
    Nikhil

  15. Dear shekhar,
    Be the same emotional guy…
    you need not be sorry for that!
    The show is so natural, no scripted drama like the other reality shows, and as Sanjay malhotra said, being so compassionate is great, And thats why you stand so high… you have not given up these values though you reached great heights!
    take care,
    Prayers love n peace

  16. Hello Shekhar,
    Sir, with utmost respect and humility I acknowledge your brilliance in the art of making cinema and also as a living specimen of a fast depleting species called “Sensitive Genuine Human”. You have been great on the show, but the weepy part on the show, to be honest, is difficult to classify(is it real you or TRP tampering gimmick). Hope you will not blame me for it, but time and again uncountable reality shows in any format have managed to infalte TRP’s by such histrionics. Audience has become immune to ‘struggling actors, singers, performers, comedians’ etc etc. There was a time when a one off story of a struggling performer comming from moffusil India swayed not only emotions, but resulted in unprecedented support in the form of votes/emails/feedback. Today any such story with any amount of deprivation or deformity, clearly and physically manifested not only fails to evoke genuine emotions, sometimes it evokes more than a laugh, only because now people are convinced it is fake.
    Given my genuine regard for you as an exceptional individual I still want to be a fence sitter and would not want to term the weepy part as an act of genuineness. Please forgive me for this but such is the effect of ‘fake emotional outburst’ potrayed on TV channels.

  17. hello, i think you are one of the genuis writer and director in the universe .You are really a patriotic person and have the real sense of doing something for the country . During the show of “India has got talent” you said to one of the participants that when we draw an art we don’nt know how it would look like,we just sketch it and in the end we can see that how beautifully it has been portrait.Hearing this from you I was much influenced by it because you only knew the true spirit of an artist.It was definetly an inspirational note from your side ,As i am writer by nature it boost my confidence and i began to write without any pre planned thought in our mind.And it turn out to be a maestro. Thank you for this..

  18. Dear Mana, I am sorry, perhaps what I am going to say will be viewed in bad light but it is not meant to be. In response to your message above….at first you call Shekhar Kapoor “a living specimen of a fast depleting species called “Sensitive Genuine Human”…and then you accuse him of being a fake, or something you are not able to decide, whether a gimmick or a real deal. This is contradictory on your part. That’s one.
    And secondly, why are some of us making this thing such a big issue?? We are blowing this out of proportion. Tell me honestly, have you EVER seen anyone, anywhere, in any show or a reality program apologizing for their emotional sensitivity?? Mr Kapoor did that here on his blog, because perhaps he felt that being overly expressive of his sentiments is something he should clarify, as it usually doesn’t happen on reality shows. However, it is often that judges start fighting over petty issues and walk out on the show, and those my friend, are the tactics they adopt to sky-rocket the TRP ratings. Not the portrayal of real emotions.
    My request to you, is to stop judging people this way. I am certain of my belief in Mr Kapoor’s ideology and the genuineness in his character which also reflects in his work, and that it is also an indicator of his honesty and dignity, which refrains an individual from getting engrossed in cheap gimmicks.
    In all, I just wanted to say let’s not propagandize something so basic and pure and delicate as the expression of human emotions. It is a right of every man, woman and child.
    I hope this message of mine will not be treated as a hostile response since I write with only positive intentions for everyone.
    Thank you,
    In good spirits,
    Siddharth

  19. Monk Who Got Sinless Kingdom
    Somewhere in Himalaya lived a monk who was remembering god’s name for day and night since more than ten years.
    One day god came in front of him and asked”what do you want my child?why are you standing on one legs for more than ten years?”.
    Monk:God,I want to live where no sin exist where not a single people lie,where no cheating exist,where no enemy exist,where no greed exist,where no hypocrisy exist,where no violence exist,where no bad smell exist,where no dirty act happen to see etc..
    God:Oh!so you want to go where sinless kingdom exist.
    Monk:Yes.
    God:Ok.I’m giving you permission to go that kingdom.
    Monk reached that kingdom.But….
    Monk:when he reached there he found whoever he meets don’t speak with him,not see towards him,whatever he says,nobody seems to interested in it.Monk felt as he was strangled or suffocated as he want to communicate and want to tell people how he reached there,how much hard work he did to reach but he found none to talk.At last he reached in a temple where he slept whole night.In night one man appeared in his dream and told the mystery of this place.
    He Explaind:In this kingdom nobody have ear,eyes,nose,taste,tongue as all create some or other kind of sin so whoever came this place of sinless kingdom have to do so,to remove all senses.
    Monk:Awoke suddenly after seeing that dream and asked God please send him back where he lived earlier on earth.
    God:appeared,smiled and said ok.

  20. ” for they mirrored my own, albeit hidden from view and without physical manifestations”
    perhaps that’s why nobody is made perfect ………to give all of us humility…and to connect with every fellow creatures of this whole universe………
    very nice,humble and considerate words
    thanx

  21. Well ya ! Participants are real and hence the emotions are real in them. It’s one thing for an onlooker to think whats going on that side but another to be actually a part of the whole thing !

  22. i have fallen in love with you after watching the show. you are probably the most sensitive humane genuine judge ever in the history of indian television. stay like that!

  23. hey. i know the feeling.
    i always start watching these shows with a mxture of amusement and oh-i’m-too-good-for-this, and whats the big deal, but somewhere you can not help getting sucked into something as simple as pure human emotion.
    you know the indian idol auditions. those bits when people come racing out of the audition hall, clutching a yellow card, screaming, crying, hugging everyone in their path – i always have tears.
    i know, i’m a sucker for feel-good. but somewhere maybe there’s hope for us. we can still connect, still feel happy/sad for people we don’t even know.
    ya. somewhere deep down in our hearts, we’re still human.apologies for the looong comment.

  24. Shekhar,
    Cry and smile are two emotions that connect one stranger to another. I strongly beleive that the one who never cried on my pain and who never laughed in my joy has never loved me.
    In general we cry for those who we feel have touched our heart our feelings and we laugh with people to whom we want to make happy. In both cases affection is common.
    In rat race however people have been more mechanical and most of them carry a plastic smile but very few are those who cry for a stranger’s pain n struggle.
    I admire you for it as u have kept ur emotions alive despite of watching several transitonary phases in life.
    I truly admire you for it. I wish every person will become as sensetive as ur.

  25. Reply to my friend Siddhartha,
    Thanks for your response, and no I have no reason to feel slanted, nor did I feel it was hostile. My friend please re-read what I have to say in my post. I still stand by the finess exhibited by Shekhar Kapur as an individual and a film maker. My grouse is against the crass commercialization of the reality shows, which has driven me to the extent of being a ‘fence sitter’. Remember a fence sitter is not on either sides (I am a proactive person and usually take sides depending upon the topic as I feel being a fence sitter is having no opinion at all).
    I stand at an emotional divide, my sensibilities for Shekhar on one hand and the cacophony of rigged emotional outbursts on other, and what I rue is I am going against my grain(of not being able to ’emotionally connect with Shekhar’). Infact I am judging myself more than Shekhar as why this happened to me, and believe me the emotional divide would not have happened had it not involved a genuine guy like Shekhar in the first place.
    Always in good spirits!
    Mana

  26. Dear Mr Kapur,
    Actually, for ths first time when i saw u having tears in your eyes after some performance, i was also kinda surprised, …generally we dont see men getting so emotional in public. But then, i was reminded of Bandit Queen, and it struck me, only someone with such deep sensitivity levels can afford to make a master piece like Bandit Queen!!
    Its really a pleasure watching you as a judge on the show…actually i admire the complete trio, no faaltu drama for the sake of TRP…straight from the heart comments..:).
    We enjoy the show…and hope to see more of it..:)
    cheers,
    Deepti

  27. seems you have benefited a lot from the show that some of those contestants..it’s nice to search our roots , but it’s also equally important to do something when we find them.
    Hope you are getting my point!!

  28. HI ajay#20 … very interesting storyline. “THE SINLESS KINGDOM”.
    But it is not our senses but our desire to be more good more, more able then the other is the biggest sin…this desire chages into ego on achievement and then into boasting and envy and all the wckedness thereon..
    if this is gone we could really get kingdom…
    nine years on one leg
    navpreet.

  29. #31….and in this ‘more then the other’ drive we made our lives hell messed up with the gods grace or gift which only makes us different from animals i.e. to be able to do more , more good, more able, more talent and more innovation but in true spirits and in no competition. Animals have all senses and in much more sharpness then we do have. Animals have more emotions in much more sharpness then we do have but what we have is the ability to improve more better then we had done before. It is all about nourishing oneself and not comparisons and competitions. Same as the show is in nourishing the talent of india and not the competition.
    Navpreet

  30. For Mana,
    I see your point and understand what you are saying. The media has many faces and sometimes we don’t agree with all of them. Of course, they have their two reasons for doing what they do, the good reason and then there is the ‘real’ reason. I don’t trust them either, but they are everywhere, one can’t help but give in and succumb to what they feed us, sometimes.
    Basically, it is not a crime to be extra cautious, it is, on the contrary, has become necessary for survival. However, in an attempt to isolate oneself from the world, it is certainly unfair to oneself if one loses emotional touch with others. I don’t preach; but merely suggest what I believe in. As we grow old it becomes clear at once, who to trust and who to scoff at.
    Good luck!
    Best,
    Siddharth

  31. Shekhar – Personalities like you make watching idiot box worthwhile… Its ‘coz of you a person who has never voted ( not even in general elections) ended up giving 15 votes to Prince Dance Group … You speak direct dil se and it shows on screen … Hope to see you more of your enotional side ( minus tears :-))

  32. Shakher ji..aap rote hain,issi liye ke aap k pass aansoun ki dolat hai..logoun k pas sharm ki dolat hai,jhooth aur makkari ka khazaana hai,so wese hi hain..
    aik shair:
    tum ne chaha naheen,halaat badal sakte the..
    mere aansoo,teri aankhoun se nikal sakte the..
    i m a very sanjeeda poet and my mob is..09419184052

  33. Hello Kapurji,
    I do not know if at all Shekhar Kapur himself reads this website/these comments and replies or how this website is managed.
    To be honest, i saw Kapurji for the first time in India’s got talent(IGT). Its crystal clear that he is a great human being “despite” being a very successful director in Bollywood. I also appreciate the open and honest way he speaks when he likes something. I think IGT is a great platform for so many hidden and forgotten Indian traditional forms of Music, Dance, etc. Its also a big platform for extremely talented people who want to show their talent to this world.
    Living in Europe since 5 years, I would strongly support any Indian form of art in winning this great competition. We should never forget that unfortunately, we Indians are called as the British poor colony who is always trying to copy western art, lifestyle, music, dance, etc. So I would request Kapurji and judges to really think 10 times before kicking any genuine Indian form of perforamnce out of the competition and even before thinking about copied acts like Salsa dance, Belly dance etc. Nobody Indian sends his or her daughter to learn Belly Dance or Salsa in India and it can not be considered as THE INDIAN TALENT. If we honoured these acts as the INDIAN TALENT, it will be another example of insulting Indian traditional form of art. We have 100s of types of dances in India that people do since 100s of years. We are not so poor to announce Belly dance and Salsa dance as Indian Talent. more than 70% of India lives in villages who even dont know the names of these western dances so you should think again before taking any such decision which will contradict to your own words of promoting Indian Folk Dance/Music through this competition.
    I would consider myself lucky in case Kapurji reads this. Great to see you Sir!
    Regards,
    Sachin.

  34. Hi Shekar…I watched all the episodes of IGT..Everything from contestant to Judges and Hosts are wonderful…
    The group won 1 million prize “ILLUMINATI” group is not actually a original act..I searched and found that there are many Mario acts and they are far more funny and entertaining on youtube…You said its a unique act but its a copy…Before selecting any group his act originality should be verified…
    Personally i think there were many other acts those deserve to win that prize..
    shekarji best of luck with your hunt..
    Regards
    Arun

  35. Shouldn’t we be open to any form of art?
    Be is Salsa or Belly dance or the cute lil boy dancing like MJ all should be appreciated. Though the form of art is not of indian origin, the talent is very much Indian and its nice to see how greatly they perform an art not native to us.
    We do wear Jeans and many western clothes, buy so many international branded stuff, eat Pizza, why say no for the forms of art? I woukd appreciate that as well, as long as any art is performed aesthetically

  36. Hello,
    this is in reply to Mr. Arun.
    Dear Sir, did you see the Tom and Jerry act that won Illuminati the ‘Bharat Ki Shaan’ tag? If you haven’t thn i request you to visit youtube and see how the group has excelled in creativity and displayed its talent which perhaps has the potential to beat international competition.
    I was reading about the controversies regarding Mario on the net. Apparently, when the Japanese and Americans perform Mario act using their style, its considered original, however, when a group of talented Indians does it, we Indians call them (or ourselves shud i say) unoriginal, which i feel shudnt happen as the group displayed something unusual in Tom and Jerry act, way beyond a normal individuals imagination including u n me. isnt it true?

  37. Sure, the show brought forward the real talent that was hidden in India, I think it showed India a new picture of Shekhar Kapoor. before the show, i used to think of you as a deep thinker and has been following your blog for long, but the show reftected a totally different side of yours… and india liked that i guess…
    As the show just ended, The winners too are really deserving one… It was bad to have just a single prize while other groups who too deserved a lot, had to go empty handed…An amazing show.. looking forward to season 2 now, with same panel of judges!

  38. Sure, the show brought forward the real talent that was hidden in India, I think it showed India a new picture of Shekhar Kapoor. before the show, i used to think of you as a deep thinker and has been following your blog for long, but the show reftected a totally different side of yours… and india liked that i guess…
    As the show just ended, The winners too are really deserving one… It was bad to have just a single prize while other groups who too deserved a lot, had to go empty handed…An amazing show.. looking forward to season 2 now, with same panel of judges!

  39. Dear Shekharji and all,
    Heartiest congrats for having a fabulous Grand Finale of IGT. Very glad to see Prince dance group winning it, extremely well deserved victory and also to see the final 3 choices of our Indian brothers and sisters.
    Somebody mentioned about eating pizza and wearing jeans. I agree with you that we also use western things in our day to day life. At the same time, I know how popular Indian food and spices are all across the globe. Almost everybody on the planet likes Indian food, culture and traditions. No doubt about that. Indians also do welcome and appreciate foreign talents, food and cultures. It’s all very well at its place.
    Awarding something as THE INDIAN TALENT (which is an honour for the winner because India is rich in art) is something totally different than what we eat and wear in daily life. On an INTERNATIONAL PLATFORM, when I would recommend foreigners to see some INDIAN TALENT COMPETITION WINNER, I would feel extremely proud if it’s a REAL INDIAN TALENT. Let it be an Indian Pop music or any western art which is really popular in India and if there is a fair and enough competition for it. In fact, we have so many our own Desi form of arts, that we really don’t even need to think of these western things to award as the Indian talent. SALSA , Belly or any other such dances are not popular dances in India at all. So if a couple of people do it and impress a few people, it will not be a great thing to tell this world “Salsa dancers are THE INDIAN TALENT”. I would ask myself what happened to Bharatnatyam, Katthakali, Kuchipudi, Lavni, etc. Does it mean that as they could not impress our judges, Salsa becomes Indian Talent? Moreover, we will be called as poor British colony now copying Latin American dance. Why? Are we so poor? We should always feel proud of the great heritage of our own form of art that Indian has got from 100s of years.
    Especially in the context of Music and Dance, apart from myself being very well into music studies (tabla and Piano), dance, etc. I would always see Indian classical and traditional form of arts to be very deep and with a great history than any other form of arts in the world when it comes to give this great honour of winner to anybody. I do eat Pizza and wear jeans, but I do not know any Indian who does Salsa in India or sends his daughter for Belly dance or Salsa dance classes. So its not a fair competition. I speak German fluently. So will it be fair if I win the IGT award for singing a German song nicely in IGT?
    Anyways, the results are out. The real talent got its award. Very happy to see deserving people getting it. The money will be used for genuine purposes and daily needs of poor 25 members of Prince dance group than Salsa dancers going to Latin America for improving their dance. Because apart from some table dancers and rich disco goers in LA, it was difficult for them to improve it in India.
    To summarize, eating, wearing, seeing and appreciating something western is different than awarding it as THE INDIAN TALENT if its not even known to or even heard by more than 70% of the nation is my opinion. Salute to the nation and judges for making THE BEST CHOICE!
    Thanks and Regards.
    Sachin.

  40. Shekhar,
    First of all kudos for being sensible in judging the talents. Your judgement is something I do relate to as audience’s choice. Although there are times where I would question the collaborative judgement results or doubt the criterion for selecting a participants. There are few things that you can help us understand, might be too late to change, but will surely make a difference in the second series of IGT.
    1) When we say India’s Got Talent – are we looking for talent or a person with entertainment value for TRP ?
    It hurts me all the time when a potentially talented person/group are being ridiculed or rejected since they do not provide any TRP value to the producer. I guess a mathematical genius will be very boring for the show but can win a Guiness Book of Record for showing exceptional talent. So should I be advising him to not bother even applying for the participation ? Ah, not sure !
    2) While making selection between 2 participants to move to the next step – Why would personal sad-story win over the talent ?
    Talent I thought was independent of economic conditions or such similar atrocities. I always find it musing to figure out why the show should be called India’s Got Talent, we could rather call it India’s Sympathizer, coz all you need then is talent to show your life’s story such that can portray the “masala” that TRP can value. Hmm..
    Well, I do not expect that you should answer these musing, forgive me if it was too harsh. But I am just a normal audience who wants to see real talent and not “talented singers or dancers” which we can anyways find from Indian Idol or Dance India Dance. Hope the format in IGT-2 changes where Judges are provided a judging criterion checklist where they rate participants on 5 different criterion and use systematic weighted average rather than subjective “INTUITION” or “personal judging limitations”.
    I just noticed, I am going overboard with using my 1st Amendment rights on your’s. My Apologies. However, my first line still holds true. Keep the good work going..
    Nirav

  41. Shekharji,
    I am a tribal, lost in urban jungle.I Repent time and again the migration from rural-civility to city where culture has no place only sale of self is the talent so as to enhance your purchasing power and go on injecting steroids to your dyeing ego. Death is painful in city as city is market place not emotinal abode.
    Yesderday, Bhavana danced.Why did she dance? She did it as she and many others do many undesirable things in other reality ahows to market oneself.
    I recall Late K.A. Abbas/Shahir Ludhiyanavi/Sunil Dutt/Rajkumar and also Waheedaji and feel sorry to call modern artists nothing more than a commodity. They do nothing with conviction but everything for business and sorry to say business of cultured muscles and flesh and controversial character.Can anybody forecast whether Rakhi would marry whom she chose as her husband in the show.
    The reality shows where one is ready to sale himself including the judges, is painful.
    Shekharji,it is wrong to infer that rural folk is poor and miserable or economically
    /socially oppressed.If it was so where from creativity would have emerged? It would have led to revolution of Naxal or Bodo or Tamil Elem type.
    The infused resentments are all urban products, never a part of folk India.
    They have resources and culture to sustain themselves as well richness to support urban economy in terms of labor/edibles. It is painfull to note that urban pollutes are being injected in their system by government agencies like cash dependence and modern gugettery and in particular non-payable easy loans.
    Your concerns are humane so genuine.Your tears are genuine as your conscience is alive.Many kill it it in glamour as Mickel Jackson did. So they take drugs not to weep.
    A poem of mine says:( hindi to english trans.)
    Coufin is not needed for martyrs.
    Let them depart with covered faces,
    whose faces are stained with blood.
    Let us laugh and weep openly without hiding our faces as these emotions are genuine.Conscience is nothing but soul.You sale conscience and you forfiet your joy of genuine-ness to weep and laugh.
    S.P.Rajput.(sprajput2005@yahoo.co.in)

  42. all that i wanted to say has been said. All i can say now is thank you… thank you for bringing credibility, honesty and transparency to Indian reality television… we don’t get to see much of it.. 🙂

  43. i see your tv show india’s got talent regularly. I am a big fan of it.it is good 2 see that talented people are getting a chance 2 show their talent. It’s very good program.

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