Indian Idol 6

Indian Idol 6 [Lucknow Auditions] - 15th June 2012

2012-06-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol 6 9th June 2012 Ahmadabad Auditions

2012-06-14T13:10:00.001-07:00

Indian Idol 6 8th June 2012 Kolkata Auditions

2012-06-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol 6 2nd June 2012 Jaipur Auditions

2012-06-03T04:24:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol 6 1st June 2012 1st Episode

2012-06-01T11:27:00.001-07:00

Sony earmarks Rs 8 crore to promote Indian Idol 6

2012-05-30T13:39:00.001-07:00

About 30-40 per cent of the budget will be spent on television, while about 20 per cent will be spent on print media campaigns. OOH, digital and radio make the rest of the media mix.

MSM's Sony Entertainment Television will launch the sixth season of its flagship property, Indian Idol, on June 1. The channel has earmarked Rs 8 crore to market the latest season of the show through various media, as per industry estimates.

Indian Idol targets youth and family audiences and is set to run for 26 episodes.

Danish Khan, senior vice president and marketing head, SET, says, "Consumer insights play an important role in this season's positioning. Hence, we have focused on 'the journey of a person from a common man to an Indian Idol'. We are targeting the families, along with the youth. The budget for the promotions is a little more than that of last year's spends."

As per industry sources, about 30-40 per cent of the total budget (Rs 2.4-3.2 crore) will be spent on television, while about Rs 1.6 crore will be spent on print. Out of home, digital, radio and BTL (below-the-line) activities will also form a part of the communication effort.

The campaign involves about 10,000 advertising slots across 29 channels, apart from the MSM bouquet of channels. Radio Mirchi has been roped in as radio partner for the show.

Khan shares that the OOH campaign comprises about a thousand units of OOH spread across 21 cities. The media duties of the show are handled by OMD and Media Circle. Leo Burnett is the creative agency for the channel as well as the show.

Industry sources add that the channel has invested heavily in this season of the property and taken on board a fourth judge, noted singer Asha Bhonsle, apart from the three judges of the last season, Annu Malik, Sunidhi Chauhan and Salim Merchant.

Close Up is the presenting sponsor for this season of Indian Idol, while MTS is powering the show. The list of associate sponsors includes Flipkart.com, TVS Tyres, Vivel, Max New York Life Insurance, Amul Macho, Sunsilk and Suzuki Motorcycle.

Last year, the channel had shifted the show to the weekdays in an attempt to compete with the fiction properties on other channels. "The show will be back on its weekend slots, as our fiction properties are doing very well on the weekday prime time slots," Khan adds.

It is also learnt that the channel has reserved a higher budget for the promotion of the sixth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. The registrations for KBC are open and the show is set to be launched in about three months.

Budding singers are welcome but none can match legends: Anu Malik

2012-05-30T13:37:00.001-07:00

Even as there are a number of budding artistes, there is no match for veteran singers like Lata Mangeshkar or Mohammed Rafi, noted musician Anu Malik has said.

“There can never be another Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi.,they are in different league. No one can be like them. Nobody can reach their level.

I cannot explain the phenomenon of these legendary people,” Malik said.

The musician, however, is hoping to find another singer who will have a unique voice through the popular reality TV show 'Indian Idol', entering its sixth season with launch on June 1.

“We are looking at the voice of a singer. It has to be unique.something that is their own,” said Malik, who is a judge on the show.

“This year's Indian Idol will leave everyone in shock with the kind of talent it is going to showcase,” Malik said.

For the sixth season of Indian Idol, the tone of the promos is based on catch phrase 'Har idol ke peeche hote hain naa jane kitne idol' (behind every idol, there are many other idols as well).

The promos of 'Indian Idol 6' show heart warming stories of the journey of a budding singer and sacrifices made by his near and dear ones.

“I don't think we are biased.,we do feel and get emotional looking at the journey, sacrifices and struggle of the singer or his or her parents. But overall we do look at the quality of voice.all we are looking for is great singers,” Malik said.

Meanwhile, noted music director Salim Merchant, who is also going to be one of the judges along with veteran singer Asha Bhosale and Sunidhi Chauhan, said the objective of the show is to find a good, soulful and contemporary singer, and looks were not a criteria.

“We watch performances keeping in mind the musical notes., voice quality and not good looks. It is only about the voice. The standard of this season is much higher than the previous ones,” Merchant said.

This is the second time that Merchant will be on the judge's panel for 'Indian Idol'. “I am happy to be back this season. We have got some amazing singers,” he said.

The auditions for the show were earlier held in nine cities across India.

“The standard of this season is much higher than the previous ones," Merchant said.

The show will be aired on Sony TV every Friday.

Who inspires Asha, Anu, Salim & Sunidhi?

2012-05-30T13:33:00.001-07:00

Har Idol ke piche na jane kitne Idol hote hain goes the promo of Indian Idol 6. And this holds true for all the contestants who have their friends, families, colleagues and countless other people to thank for backing them up and in helping them make their journey this far on the show.

But ever wondered who the Indian Idol judges admire? Who their inspirations are?
As the sixth season of Indian Idol starts from 1^st June 2012, judges Sunidhi Chauhan, Salim Merchant and Anu Malik will be joined by the legendary Asha Bhosle who will be the fourth judge on the show.

Sharing their thoughts on the people who have truly inspired their music, the four judges all have their favourites. For Asha Bhosle, her idol is her father Deenanath Mangeshkar who she says taught her sangeet and sargam. From the filmy world, her choice is the man with the golden voice: Kishore Kumar who s he feels is unmatched by any other singer of today's generation. Judge Sunidhi Chauhan grew up listening to Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar who remain her personal favourites.

Anu Malik was bowled over by RD Burman and Mohammed Rafi especially when he heard Rafi saab sing O Haseena Zulfon Wali. Anu Malik also adds that that singers like Kishore da and Mohammed Rafi belong to a different league and there can be no singers like them ever! Salim Merchant's inspiration is table maestro Zakir Hussain and considers the legend as a very good human being.

Now that we know who our judges admire, will the contestants impress them with their rendition of the legends' songs? Only time will tell.

`Indian Idol 6` promises to shock with great talent

2012-05-30T13:15:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: As evident from the promos, the sixth season of popular singing reality show `Indian Idol` will not only strike an emotional chord but also promises to shock the viewers by showcasing the amazing talent that breeds in the country.

While the show will see Anu Malek, Salim Merchant and Sunidhi Chauhan taking the judges` seats again, it will have a fourth judge in singing legend Asha Bhosle.

"This year`s `Indian Idol` will leave you shocked with the kind of talent it is going to have," Malek said at the launch of the show here.

He said they were looking for someone who has a unique voice quality.

"Our focus this year is the voice quality. The quality of the voice of the singer should not resemble as that of anyone else. It has to be unique, something that is their own," said Malek.

Malek, Chauhan and Merchant have travelled across 21 cities auditioning people and picking up the right talent among thousands of aspirants.

While some were from small towns, some belonged to villages where there is no electricity.

The judges said their focus remains on finding a soulful and contemporary voice rather than just good looks.

"I don`t think we will watch the performances keeping in mind good looks. This time it is only about the voice. The standard of this season is much higher than the previous ones," said Merchant.

Chauhan, who recently got hitched to composer Hitesh Sonik, said she was amazed to see that all the aspirants that they got a chance to audition had come fully prepared for it.

"The journey to hunt for the right voice was difficult. But it was interesting to see how all the contestants had come with full preparations for their auditions," said Chauhan.

"I am looking forward to helping them (contestants) by sharing my personal experiences and what I have learned so far in my career," she said.

The Sony channel has tried to develop an emotional connect with their tagline: "Sach he toh kehte hain, har idol ke peeche hote hain na jane kitne idol." (So true, there are so many idols behind one idol).

The TV commercials show a father leaving a well-paid job to shift to another city with a lower salary so that his daughter can learn music, while a friend financially helps another, without hurting the latter`s self-esteem.

Apart from travelling across the country, the channel officials have also conducted video auditions for aspiring singers, who due to some circumstances could not make it to the auditions in person.

The show goes on air Friday.

IANS

'Focus in Indian Idol 6 is voice quality, not good looks'

2012-05-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

The legendary Asha Bhosle will join the three judges -- Anu Malik, Salim Merchant and Sunidhi Chauhan -- on Indian Idol 6.
Bhosle has been a part of musical reality shows earlier as a guest judge; now Indian Idol 6 will see her as the 'super judge' of the show.

The veteran singer will not be part of the audition rounds but she will join the three judges from the gala rounds.

So how will she judge the contestants on the show? "The first thing I will look for in a contestant is their sur (melody) because that's the most important part of singing," Bhosle says. "I don't like singers, who are not been trained properly.
"It is very important for singers to have a classical training, as it helps them sing the right notes. If the foundation of a building is strong, it stands tall forever. Similarly, classical training sets the base for good singing," she said.
The judges claim their focus will be on finding a soulful and contemporary voice, rather than good looks. "Our focus is the voice quality," Anu Malik says. "We are looking for someone who has a unique voice, something that is their own."
Salim Merchant adds: "I don`t think we will watch the performances keeping in mind good looks. The standard of this season is much higher than the previous ones."
Singer Sunidhi Chauhan, who got married recently, says, "The hunt for the right voice was difficult. But it was interesting to see how the contestants had come with full preparation for their auditions."
Malik, Chauhan and Merchant have travelled across 21 cities auditioning people and picking up the right talent among thousands of aspirants.
Apart from travelling across the country, the channel officials have also conducted video auditions for aspiring singers, who due to some circumstances could not make it to the auditions in person.

Mini Mathur and Hussain Kuwajerwala will host the show, when it goes on air on June 1 on Sony Entertainment Television.
In the picture: Hussain Kuwajerwala, Anu Malik, Sunidhi Chauhan, Salim Merchant and Mini Mathur. Seated: Asha Bhosle

Sony TV Flag off for Indian Idol 6 with Anu Malik

2012-05-29T04:07:00.000-07:00

ANU Malik commenced the season at a flag off event where he shared, “There are many shows happening but there is something unique about Indian Idol. It’s a brand that would never fade and never die.” Our vans would also go to villages, so that if people cannot make it for the auditions, their unique voice can still reach us. We want to come up with a voice which is the public’s voice, “adds Anu

indian idol 5 Mumbai Auditions,with Amit Paul

Asha Bhosle to judge Indian Idol 6

2012-05-29T03:46:00.003-07:00

MUMBAI: Veteran singer Asha Bhosle is the fourth judge on music talent hunt show Indian Idol season 6.

The singing legend will accompany Anu Malik, Sunidhi Chauhan and Salim Merchant on the panel. She will not be a part of the audition round but will join the three judges from the gala round.

In the past, the singer has been a celebrity judge for many reality shows, but for the first time Bhosle will be a all time judge.

Indian Idol, produced by Fremantle Media India, will run for 26 episodes positioning itself as 'Idol behind an idol'. Hosted by Hussain and Mini Mathur, the show will air from 1 June at 8.30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Indian Idol 6 Kolkata Audition Tu Jane NA

2012-05-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

Indian Idol 6 to use drama & emotions for a connect with viewers

2012-05-24T12:16:00.004-07:00

Music is something that almost every Indian can relate to. So, when in 2004, a reality show was launched which gave the people a chance to show-off their singing talent, the whole country lined up for auditions.

Today that very same reality show, Indian Idol, is getting set to launch its sixth season. From June 1 on Sony Entertainment Television. The show had opened with average TVR of 6.9 in its first season whereas the last season got an average TVR of 2.0. According to Chandradeep Mitra, managing partner, Anvention, the main reason why reality shows lose their audience over years is stagnation: “After a while, one does get bored of watching the same genre of shows. It has happened to a lot of shows, be it KBC or IPL. Also, there are a lot of similar shows on other channels. So, there is a natural decay.” He further explained: “With more and more channels coming up and new genres being experimented, there is division of audience too.”

: Danish Khan

Danish Khan, senior VP and Marketing Head, SET, is optimistic about the upcoming season and feels that every season has to have a unique hook to catch audience’s attention. “We are doing our best to come up with a delight for our audience. I agree that there are a lot of reality shows, so differentiation becomes important to stand out of the clutter.”

This year, the show will focus on ‘Idols behind the Idol’: “We thought of going back this year and focus on how ‘nobody’ becomes a ‘somebody’. We’ll follow the journey of the Idol and the people who have played a role in guiding them to reach that position. So, there are a lot of drama and emotion this time, and we are hoping that it will touch the audience. And help us get good ratings,” Mr Khan said.

However, Mr Mitra feels that for this genre to work well, the show must have quality talent and should be able to use social media well to promote it which will help to create awareness about the show.

The channel will launch the show after the IPL. “It is a deliberate move and we have used the IPL to build the show through various promotions. We have used 360 degree marketing strategy to market the show,” said Mr Khan.

By Meghna Sharma

Indian Idol 6 Audition - Chhaliya

2012-05-24T12:10:00.003-07:00

INDIAN IDOL 6 STREET SINGING BY CONTESTANTS Gulabi aakhein Auditions

2012-05-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

SET goes all-out to promote Indian Idol Season 6

2012-05-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

The sixth edition of Indian Idol will go on-air from June 1, 2012, on Sony Entertainment Television. Given the lineage of the musical reality show, the channel is leaving no stone unturned to create the right buzz. The 10,000-odd television spots and 7,000 spots on radio and the two promos on-air currently focus on the brief that ‘today it’s not just one man dreaming but hundreds behind him supporting that dream’. Leo Burnett, the creative agency that has created the ads, would also unleash more promos in the days to come.

Even as the media spends on Indian Idol 6 remain almost same as that last year at Rs. 8 crore, the growth of 15 per cent in ad spends is being ascribed to media inflation as the channel is eying at Rs. 90 crore revenue this season. Sony has planned an aggressive print media campaign on the day of the show’s launch, apart from 700 outdoor units. Media Circle is the outdoor agency for Indian Idol.

Danish Khan, Senior VP and Head of Marketing at Sony Entertainment Television, said, “The communication strategy aims at bringing to fore face of musical reality show; expand the audience base and being inclusive to the total spectrum of audience. The promos have been built on the aspect of translating and viewing the journey of ‘nobody to somebody’.”

The communication would pan out in phases, informed Khan. “While the first phase would build up on the philosophy of the communication brief, the second phase would be countdown promos,” he said. However, both categories would continue till the beginning of the show.

Tightlipped about the inventory and ad rates, Khan insisted that the content to ad ratio would depend solely on the episode itself.

The TVCs:

The sixth season of Indian Idol also brings for the first time ever – an opportunity to audition online via www.MyIndianIdol.com. The website would bring viewers the excitement of catching up with all the episodes of Season 6 as well as previous seasons of Indian Idol. SET is also considering launching a mobile application for Indian Idol.

Indian Idol 6 plays the emotional card

2012-05-16T12:42:00.002-07:00

And it is Indian Idol time again for Sony Entertainment Television. The sixth season of the show that contributed significantly in Sony climbing up the Hindi GEC (general entertainment channel) chart is set to go on air from June 1, four days after IPL (Indian Premier League) season 5 ends.

Sony began Indian Idol’s promotions at the start of IPL season 5. The creative duties of the show have been handled by Leo Burnett India. The media agency for the channel is OMD and the OOH partner is Media Circle.

According to industry sources, the channel has earmarked one of its highest single show marketing budgets for Indian Idol 6.

The show has become important in Sony’s annual calendar. The fifth season had augured good results for the channel in 2011. The expectation this year, as Sony contests keenly to stay consistent on the number two position on the Hindi GEC chart but has faced enough challenges from Zee TV, is no different.

A media buyer explained, “The gap between the number one and number two is not as wide as it once was, so if Sony plays its cards right it can even look at closing in on the gap with Star Plus.”

Unlike previous years, this year, Sony has a strong fiction line-up and a few shows such as ‘Biyaah Hamaari Bahu Ka’ in the waiting. Indian Idol has the potential to augment the channel’s strength for it to give some tough competition in the Hindi GE genre.

Speaking further on the marketing plans for the show, Danish Khan, Senior EVP and Marketing Head, SET India said, “We are going the whole hog, using mediums such as television, radio, OOH, cinemas and digital to market Indian Idol 6.”

The TV campaigns for the show have been different from that of the previous seasons. At the end of every ad one of the three judges of the show say, ‘Sach he toh kehte hain, har idol ke peeche hote hain najane kitne idol.’

Sharing the thought process behind these campaigns, Khan said, “Indian Idol is an established show. We wanted to give it new positioning and thought process. The marketing challenge was to bring in a change and emotional effect. Hence, we came up with these campaigns on TV that would attract not only the youth but also their families and friends.

The channel also plans to do on-ground events as well as few campaigns on radio that will be on the lines of the same concept. “We plan to come up with a few more ads between May 20 and June 1 to build anticipation among viewers,” said Khan.

The channel is in talks with different radio stations across cities to be associated as a partner for this season of Indian Idol and the same will be finialised in the next two days.

AR Rahman to judge Indian Idol 6

2012-05-16T12:28:00.001-07:00

Sony’s Indian Idol returns on the tube with Season 6 from June 1, but this season the channel has a surprise in store for the audiences. For the past five years, this popular adaptation of the Idol format has served as the ultimate platform for budding singers across the nation.

And though it has stuck to the original format of the international show all these years, this season the production team will bring a novelty factor. Instead of the three judges — Sunidhi Chauhan, Salim Merchant and Anu Malik, Indian Idol will have four judges on the panel this time.

The producers have asked music maestro AR Rahman to join the team and are awaiting his response. A source close reveals, “Rahman has been approached but he hasn’t reverted. Indian Idol 6 will begin next month with the auditions that will air for almost a month.

If Rahman comes on board, then he will be seen in the Gala round (second round of selections).” Rumours are that if Rahman declines the offer due to his busy schedule, then the team will approach other big names from the music industry.

Among other firsts, the new season of the show will see promotions take an emotional route.

The tone of the promos are based on their catchphrase ‘Har idol ke peeche hote hain najane kitne idol’ (behind every idol, there are many other idols as well). With the popularity of the reality show, the channel is leaving no stone unturned to create the right buzz.

Four judges in Indian Idol 6

2012-05-15T16:13:00.001-07:00

The sixth season of popular music reality show, Indian Idol, is all set to hit the tube in the beginning of June. While the promos of the show have already revealed that the resident judge Anu Malik will be adjudicating the show along with Salim Merchant and Sunidhi Chauhan, one can expect some interesting addition to the judging panel.

With what we have been informed by our sources, there will be not three but four judges this time. Many feel that the decision has been taken in the wake of stiff competition the show will face from dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa featuring popular celebrity participants and Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo Dsouza as judges. However, this is not the first time the show will feature four judges as season three and four also had four judges.

While season three had Anu Malik, Javed Akhtar, Udit Narayan and Alisha Chinoy, season four saw Anu judge the show with Sonali Bendre, Kailash Kher and Javed Akhtar. Watch this space to know, who the fourth judge will be this season.

Indian Idol 6 starts on Sony from June 1

2012-05-10T12:58:00.002-07:00

Come June and India will have a new habit. The popular singing reality show Indian Idol is back on Sony Television this summer. The show is back in its 6th avatar and telly watchers are counting the days as it is soon to air on Sony. Leading the TRP charts with a whole lot of shows, the marketing team at Sony is confident of recreating the magic that the music hunt has been creating over the last five seasons.
Added to this, is the buzz of the auditions having gone to the smaller towns of India as well. The simple funda behind this is summed up in the comments by Indian Idol host Mini Mathur: “What does the average Indian want? A sense of identity, acknowledgment, someone to hear them out. Fathers encouraging their daughters to sing, a brother trying to save his house by singing. Such stories connect with people who’ve lived on the streets and dream big”. The 1.5 lac and counting figure for registration across diverse parts of India drives home this point well.
Indian Idol 6 is expected to be bigger and better. This time round, the channel is also taking measure to undertake a more enhanced search for the perfect voice. The three judges, repeated from the previous season, Sunidhi Chauhan, Anu Malik and Salim Merchant have been constantly asserting that the focus remains on a beautiful and contemporary voice and not lovely looks. The latter is an add on, but no compulsion!
Sony has designed an interesting tagline for the Idol hunt this year: ‘Koi bhi insaan chota nahin hota’. With this, and along with assertions from the judges, its safe to conclude that Indian Idol 6 would have a lot to offer the sub urban and rural crowds.

Mangalore Dentist May Enter Indian Idol, with Public Support

2012-05-06T04:50:00.003-07:00

Mangalore, May 6: If all goes well, a Mangalorean may well be in the race for the coveted crown of Indian Idol, the popular reality show on Sony Television.

Dr Suhail Ahmed, a dentist with an MDS in maxillofacial surgery, who graduated from Yenepoya Dental College in the city, tried his luck in the Indian Idol 6 web auditions, and to his surprise, he found his video among the most popular ones in the site. While there are videos that haven't been viewed even once, Suhail's video has been viewed 6,780 times, and is placed in the 10th position out of a whopping 9,000 entries from across the country.

Suhail, who hails from Babugudda here, is presently working as lecturer in a dental college in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He belongs to a business family and is the son of the late B A Rahiman, a timber merchant.
What works in Suhail's favour is that he is not just any amateur - he is in fact a trained classical singer, having learnt Hindustani vocals at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in the city.
Speaking to Daijiworld, Suhail recalls that it was his mother who first noticed his interest in singing early in his life and enrolled him in music classes. "She has been very supportive and am indebted to her for my musical achievements so far...I believe we need a supportive family to pursue our passion," he says. The prizes that he has won in singing are a testimonial to his talent.
Suhail is also a talented percussionist and can play the tabla. He has also lent his voice to several commercials in Bangalore. An alumni of St Aloysius High School and PU College, he is married to Dr Nafeesa, who too is a dentist, and the couple have a year-old child.

Indian Idol audition
The voting system for Indian Idol web auditions is based on the number of views the video is able to attract. More the number of people viewing Suhail's video, better the chance of making it to the top. As stated already, his video has been viewed 6,780 times, and amazingly, the song has cut across borders and has been liked and commented upon by even Arabs who don’t understand Hindi.
Among the contestants his name appears as Ahmed Suhail. All that the viewers need to do is to go to the site http://www.videochaska.com/indian-idol/entries/54612 and watch the video. Those who like the video can register their liking through Facebook, Twitter or G1. At the bottom of the video there are links for these social sites. For example, To like through Facebook the viewer needs to click on 'f'like at the lower border of the video. Facebook screen then appears asking the viewer to register their 'like' by entering their Facebook id and password which is absolutely secure. Viewers can also comment on the video on a comments box below the video on the Indian Idol website.
"Viewership by Mangaloreans can possibly elevate my standing and I can have a better chance of representing Mangalore at Indian idol," says Suhail.

Watch Audition Video: Click Here

‘Indian Idol 6′ launch confirmed on Sony TV

2012-05-06T04:42:00.000-07:00

Sony Entertainment Television Asia’s hit talent show ‘Indian Idol’ will return for a sixth season in June, BizAsia can confirm.

The show has been slotted on Friday and Saturday nights at 20:30 starting from 1st June.

When ‘Indian Idol 5′ started, its initial audition process ran through Monday to Thursday nights, however the channel has changed its strategy this time around.

‘Indian Idol 6′ will be the channel’s big ticket show, which has worked wonders for it previously.

Mini Mathur and Hussain who have previously hosted the show will once again be back as the faces of the show.

Anu Malik, Sunidhi Chauhan and Salim Merchant will form the new judging panel on the successful show.

Twitter / salim merchant: Indian idol 6 is coming soon

2012-05-06T04:29:00.001-07:00

Indian idol 6 is coming soon. We had a fab photo shoot yesterday. Check out the new talent, you will love it! http://pic.twitter.com/tkXiOq5l

Source: @salim_merchant

Indian Idol Season 6 Audition Van Flag Off By Anu Malik

2012-05-05T14:03:00.002-07:00