Sa Re Ga Ma Pa: Javed Ali believes reality shows remain a launchpad for singers

Javed Ali. Pics/By Special Arrangement, Instagram

This is not the first time that Javed Ali has sat on the judge's seat for Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. In fact, the singer has been a part of the show over three seasons. But the moment he heard about the scale of the Zee TV show's latest season, he knew it was unmissable. He exclaims, "One hundred musicians playing in every episode is something I have never heard or seen!" As Ali takes on the role of the judge for a fourth time over, he discusses with mid-day what he looks for in a contestant and how the show prioritises talent over a participant's emotional backstory.

Excerpts from the interview.

What made you say yes to this season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa?
The canvas of this season is larger than life. I have never seen 100 musicians playing together in a show before. Someone asked me if this was for the finale, and I told them it was the first episode. So, when I learnt about this scale, I became curious and wanted to be a part of it.

The other judges are

Shankar Mahadevan, Kumar Sanu and Neeti Mohan

As a judge, what aspects of a singer do you judge them on?
The first thing I notice in a contestant is his/her prep. By prep, I mean the vocals and technicality. Sometimes I sing the song to show them the technique. I also look for how much confidence a contestant has in what they are performing.

Over the years, contestants' struggle stories and emotions have taken over their performance in reality shows. How do you view this?
The audience is very intelligent. Sometimes backstories of contestants are shown to enhance a show. But in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, music comes before anything else. Very few shows give as much importance to music as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa does. There is also lightness through jokes, but nothing precedes music on our show.

Today aspiring musicians have found a way to break into the industry through social media content. Are reality shows still an important platform for new talent?
Reality shows have helped artistes reach the homes and hearts of people. The contestants become stars overnight. They may or may not get playback singing opportunities, but their journey as professional artistes gets a kickstart. They get live shows, earn money, and are able to find their audience. Even if they don't get films, they can create their own path with their singing talent.

When it comes to [breaking in] via social media, you have to release a lot of content before you can gain an audience. But when you are on a reality show like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa or any other, you can gain that audience overnight. Whether someone watches TV or not, there's enough publicity of these shows and the contestants are able to capture people's imagination. So, after that, if you put out your own music, you already have a dedicated audience. That's why reality shows are important.

Did you know?
The singer served as the host of the 2012 edition of ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'

2011
When Javed Ali first joined ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa', judging the ‘Li'l Champs' version