How We Cope With Reality, Interrupted

So despite a not so happy start in hometown Balarshah, a train stop in Maharashtra8217;s Chandrapur district where he once even worked as a construction labourer, he never let go of his funny bone.

8220;I would inevitably been seen at the village square mimicking Amitabh Bachchan or Mithun Chakraborty,8221; he says, sprawled on a sofa in his three-bedroom rented home.

He first went to Nagpur, signing up for comic relief in local orchestras and a circus. Then it was Mumbai where he worked as a helper at a tea stall and built contacts while still sleeping on the pavement opposite. One thing led to another and Pal was soon introduced to Johny Lever and his brother Johny Moses. Then one-day, in 1999, a drunkard on the local train passed him a number of star-event organiser, the Mooranis. In just a while, Pal was flying to Singapore. The event featured Shahrukh Khan.

8220;I was doing everything I wanted. I was part of shows that had Bollywood8217;s best 8212; from Sonu Nigam to Ashutosh Gowarikar. I was popular on the circuit but I still didn8217;t have any face value,8221; he says. Then Moses suggested he sign up for Star One8217;s Laughter Challenge. The rest, we all know, is reality TV. 8220;Duniya badal gayee meri,8221; he says.

Sunil Pal now has the face and the value. He8217;s got the films 8212; Phir Hera Pheri, Apna Sapna Money Money, a forthcoming Full and Final, a remake of Bombay to Goa. He has a show on the radio station Big and on TV channels.

But the best thing reality TV brought him was his wife, Sarita. After Pal8217;s win he was invited on Hindi Diwas by a local college where she teaches as chief guest. Love struck. Pal8217;s new found status also helped convince a slightly hestitant father-in-law and the couple married in February this year. 8220;A year ago, I went to Chandrapur. There was a ticketed show organised. Seeing that crowd of 10,000 sent another kind of feeling through me,8221; he says. Now, it takes upwards of Rs 1.5 lakh to have Sunil Pal make you laugh at a show.

Ravinder Ravi, Singer

It took more than a month to get Ravinder Ravi, in between cutting his new album and a concert tour of Punjab, to take out time for this interview. The housepainter from Punjab who reached the top five of the first Indian Idol is perhaps the only contestant to have sustained buzz around himself.

The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia lists him as one of the most successful Indian Idols, with the maximum musical performances in India and abroad. Ravi seems surprised at this, 8220;I had no idea.8221;

Dressed in a sweater and corduroy pants, he poses like a natural for the photo shoot. 8220;Before Indian Idol , I had never got my photograph taken. I was stiff and uncomfortable in front of the camera. Now, I8217;m surprised to see my photos, and how stylish I look,8221; he smiles, before breaking into a Punjabi folk song in his startlingly high-pitched voice. A voice that makes you stop in your tracks and listen. 8220;The voice of God,8221; as the judges on Indian Idol called it before they began trashing him.

In 2005, riding the crest of the instant fame that came after the show, Ravi, underwent a drastic transformation. The man who rode a bicycle, paintbrush in hand, for Rs 60 as his dailywages, was seen in leather jackets and denims, gifted a car to his wife andstarted travelling around the country. He is now mobbed by crowds in towns like Jalandhar, Mandi and Indore. His house in Ludhiana is almost a tourist destination.

8220;I have seen extreme poverty. There were days when I would sleep without eating. I had to borrow Rs 300 from a friend to reach the auditions of Indian Idol in Delhi. How can I ever forget my origins?8221; he says. 8220;I never hide my roots. My thinking is the same. Just that I have graduated from a cycle to a plane.8221;

Ravi is almost the precursor of reality TV drama, tugging at the heartstrings of the nation with his gritty perseverance, despite his 8220;dubious8221; talent. Just before his elimination, the judges, Anu Malik, Sonu Nigam and Farah Khan made it amply clear that they didn8217;t think he deserved to stay on. Yet, week after week, the people voted for him.

At the time, Ravi went on record to express his discontent with the channel, the show, and the judges. 8220;I did feel then that they were being unfair and at some level I was being victimised because of my background and looks. But in retrospect, I can see that I had my shortcomings. The other contestants were trained, I was self-taught,8221; he concedes. 8220;I8217;ve learnt a lot since those early days. If I were to participate now, I8217;m sure I would win.8221;

Yet, luck played a huge part in his success. He says, 8220;There are crores of Ravinder Ravis with more talent languishing in every corner of this country and most do not get a chance.8221; He adds: 8220;I8217;m all for more and more talent hunt shows like Indian Idol and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. They give people like me a fair chance.8221;

Where are they now?

Shahzad Kalim

The winner of Lakme Fashion House 2005, he leapfrogged from Patna to Milan by winning an internship with Donatella Versace. However, after the much-touted internship and a debut at the Fashion Week, he8217;s as much as gone with the wind.

Abhijeet Sawant

The Indian Idol winner was propelled to instant star status and was suddenly seen all over TV, performing live and promoting his debut album, Aapka Abhijeet Sawant. The fanfare may have faded, but Abhijeet continues to work the circuit, performing live concerts around the country.

Debojit Saha

With apparently all of North-East voting for him, Debojit of Assam beat Vineet of Lucknow in the closely fought finale of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005. He8217;s currently singing for some films under production and launched a missable debut alum under the aegis of Zee TV.

Divakar

This 13-year-old Delhi boy may not have won the final of Li8217;l Champs, but he sure won the hearts of the audience and the judges. The favourite amongst the three finalists, his head turned upto the sky, 8220;he sang to the Gods8221;, as the judges put it. Whether, his spot of luck continues, remains to be seen.

Qazi and Ruprekha

This pair of the frizzy haired boy from Srinagar and the sweet-voiced girl from Kolkata won Sony8217;s Fame Gurukul 2005. Their debut album was titled Jodi No 1, but this jodi, that sent an SMS flutter across the country, soon faded into oblivion.