'Hero Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012' finds new host in Javed Ali with top 15 contestants
The young Bollywood singer takes the legacy of Sonu Nigam and Shaan forward
October 18, 2012:
The grapevine has been buzzing about who will take the legacy of Sonu Nigam and Shaan forward. It's time to put all speculations to rest as 'Hero Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012' reveals Javed Ali as the latest anchor of India's iconic and the longest running singing reality show along with the Top 15 contestants. The charming and young Bollywood singer has earlier been a mentor on 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs 2011'. Besides singing some beautiful melodies, he will now host this season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and will be instrumental in boosting the morale of the contestants. The final 15 contestants were shortlisted by the mentors, Shankar Mahadevan, Rahul Ram and Sajid – Wajid along with the viewers picking their favourite singers.
Ajay Bhalwankar, Content Head (Hindi GECs) of Zee TV, says, “We wanted an anchor whose roots lie in music. Sonu Nigam and Shaan were not only iconic anchors but they were also the face of the show. Javed fits the bill perfectly because he has already been associated with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in the past and he is a very talented singer. He is calm, composed and at the same time spontaneous and has a great sense of humor. We were lucky to see him equally charged at the opportunity to host the show. We wish him all the very best in his new endeavour.”
“The Mega Auditions are over and it's time to announce India's 'Top 15' contestants who will embark on a challenging musical ride in the quest for the coveted trophy of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012'.” He adds.
Javed Ali, who recently rocked the nation with chart toppers like the title track of Ishaqzaade and the soulful Kun Faya Kun (Rockstar), said, “It's a huge responsibility that Zee TV has given me to host this prestigious show and I thank them for it. I am working hard to do justice to the role as it will not only be my voice but also my wit, observation and presence of mind taking centre stage. Really looking forward to it.”
The 'Top 15' contestants include Kunal Pandit, Vishwajeet Borwankar, Arsh Mohammed and Subhrima Bhadury from Mumbai, Jaspreet Sharma, Shehnaz Akhtar and Arshpreet Kaur from Punjab, Mohammed Aman and Renu Nagar from Rajasthan, Jasraj Joshi from Pune, Padmanav Bordoloi from Guwahati, Parul Mishra from Gorakhpur, Madhuri Dey from Kolkata and Mrunmayee Tirodkar from Goa. Their chances of winning the ultimate recognition in the field of singing will rest in the hands of the mentors for the first few weeks till 'Hero Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012' throws open its voting lines to the junta.
Apart from being supremely talented, some of the contestants have some incredible accomplishments under their belt already. Padmanav Bordoloi has already got the golden opportunity to perform at the Nehru Center, London in 2009 with the Late Bhupen Hazarika. Here, in his first ever live concert, he made the audience sing Jai Ho, Vande Matram and even made them sway and dance to Bihu. Jaspreet Sharma, more popularly known as Jazim is a National Gold medalist in Thumri and Ghazal singing. Pune based Jasraj Joshi is a rockstar in every sense of the term. He can sing a classical and rock song with equal finesse and he expertly mixes both genres and comes up with his own fusion number. He has a fusion band 'Shunya' which plays in college music fests. There's also Vishwajeet Borwankar, winner of Zee Marathi's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and currently doing very well in the Marathi music industry. His main motive to participate in Hero Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012 is to showcase his talent in front of a global audience and compete with singers across the country.