22 April,2010 09:21 AM IST | | Urmimala Banerjee
It was a wonderful evening at the Indian Idol 5 event in New Delhi. Composer-singer Salim Merchant (of Salim-Sulaiman) belted out numbers like 'Aashayein', 'Yeh Hausla' and 'Kurbaan Hua' followed by a foot-tapping show by Sunidhi Chauhan. Everyone enjoyed his songs immensely.
Former winner Abhijeet Sawant set the tone for the evening along with Prajakta Shukre. "This time, the show, that will go on air on April 26, will be wrapped up in sixteen weeks and will be a lot crisper," says Salim. The young composer looked stylish in a pair of black jodhpuris and a bandgala while Sunidhi sizzled in a hot pink top. More than a lakh contestants participated in the auditions this time, making it the biggest in Indian Idol history.
There was a singing booth for media professionals, and the best were given prizes. Recounting his experiences at the auditions, Salim says, "There was this young guy who came for the auditions in one of the cities. When he met us, he told me 'I am a huge fan of your music and I have come just to have a glance of you.' His innocence and sincerity touched me a lot."
