This is one television show that has stood apart for its uniqueness. Raj TV’s pioneering attempt, ‘Pudhiyadhor Kavignar Seivom,’ wasn’t just different. It was intriguing. Travelling to the remotest corners of Tamil Nadu, sifting eager applicants, zeroing in on potential lyricists and giving the winners a chance to enter tinseldom ought to have been quite a task. “You’re right. The concept was fresh but execution, a challenge,” says Mala Manian, Raj’s COO. “We had selected the probables but we had to draft clear criteria for selection and elimination in each of the six rounds we had envisaged. That was tough.” From the initial 1,500 contestants, the number was brought down to seven in the finals. The presenter in the early episodes was Vishali, the daughter of Kavignar Kannadasan, and after a few rounds actor Rohini came on board. “Rohini is a lyricist in her own right. And she’s multi-faceted,” says Mala, about her choice.
In the final round the poets had to supply verses for the tune composed by music director Sathya. Poets Arivumathi, Kabilan, Viveka, Priyan and Madan Karky had judged the rounds. And joining the team as special judges for the finale, were Lingusamy, Karu. Pazhaniappan, Sargunam and Magizh Thirumeni. That all of them are writer-directors with penchant for poetry made their presence significant. Pazhaniappan in typical style, said, “In cinema, we need lyricists, not poets. But when a song gets an edge in the words used or the idea expressed, the poet within the verse writer comes out. I’ve noticed it happen with Arivumathi and Kabilan.”
When the array of seven finalists in the grand finale came on stage at the Anna Centenary Library Auditorium, in Kotturpuram, Chennai, with dreams in their eyes and anxiety in their demeanour, recently, it was an interesting showcase of the high aspirations of simple sons of the soil. Chitra, the lone woman finalist, was from the hamlet of Varthalaikaadu in Thanjavur District!
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“Whether you are a theist or atheist is immaterial. Read the Ramayanam. It will help you. Kambar’s thoughts, similes, and metaphors are par excellence,” Kabilan advised the budding talents. And be it Senthil Kumar, Vadhambai Chandrasekar, Jayaraj, Nallarivazhagan, Sundararaman, or Mohan Thennarasu, all the aspirants were promising.
The evening had a neatly chalked out programme with the inimitable B.H. Abdul Hameed on stage as the Master of Ceremonies. So spontaneous was he that it was unbelievable he had been briefed about the show just the previous evening. “He was out of the country and though he had anchored our music show, ‘Raja Geetham,’ he didn’t know about ‘Kavignar Seivom’ or the ‘Voice of Tamil Nadu’ finals. But he proved he’s a veteran,” smiles Mala.
Yes, the grand finale of the search for the ‘Voice of Tamil Nadu’ was also held that evening, where seven young singers – Keerthy, Geethesh, Nellaiappan, Lakshmi Priya, Larson Cyril, Diwakar and Raghu – competed for the title. And judging them were Unni Krishnan, Sriram Parthasarathy and Devie Neithiyar along with special judges, the multi-faceted composer and director Gangai Amaran, director Vasanth and composer Sathya. The finalists chose difficult numbers in different genres and did quite a good job of them. The bubbly Sree Chitra emceed this segment.
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Over the months auditions for the voices and the poets had been held simultaneously and it was natural that the finals for the two events were conducted together. Interspersed with the rounds was some entertainment provided by The Raack Academy of Dance.
It was a great moment for the entire group when directors Lingusamy and Vasanth promised to use one among the finalists in the two categories in their forthcoming film projects.
To know the winners watch the final part of the programme today (July 6) on Raj TV (8.30 – 9.30 p.m.)