Why Indian Idol worked ??

Indian Idol created history as far as reality shows go in India. And it certainly touched a chord with the youth - which was very good news for Sony Entertainment Television.

It was not the first talent hunt but it clearly was the most successful in terms of viewership numbers. The fact that Indian Idol was aired on a mainstream channel as opposed to a music channel like [V] or MTV gave it a lot more reach. Plus, Sony had invested heavily in promoting the show.

However, it could have gone either way. When the show launched with Anu Mallik, Sonu Nigam and Farah Khan, I wasn't too impressed. But they were playing out their roles quite well. Although none of them was as biting or caustic as Simon on American Idol, the judges had established a chemistry / rapport with the audience.

But the reason Indian Idol outshined any other shows of the same kind can be summed up in one word: involvement. We, the viewers, had a say in the contestants' futures through the SMS and phone votes we sent. This gave us a stake in their success and failure - an active and not just a passive interest.

The fact that the top 11 had to go through several rounds until only one remained meant that we got to see their talent on display week after week. Indian Idol also gave us a peek into the contestants' homes and backgrounds, so we identified with them as people. We started caring about them, feeling for them. We even developed likes and dislikes - as if we knew each one personally.

Of course, this was working in a strange way AGAINST merit. In the very first season, Ravindra, the painter who couldn't really sing too well made it to the last 5 while the talented Rahul Saxena was voted out before him. Clearly, Ravindra seemed to be getting votes just for being an underdog.

However, Rahul's exit sparked a lot of comment and even protest letters to newspapers. And do you know, he'd been asked by judge Farah Khan to sing for her forthcoming film project while another axed contestant - Amit Tandon acted in an Ekta Kapoor serial. So simply being on Indian Idol had led to some kind of break for contestants.

Earlier singing talent hunts had thrown up the likes of Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal and Sanjeevani. But I think Indian Idol - in its first edition alone - resulted in many more contracts and opportunities.

Perhaps it was just that the time was right then. The country - and the folks in the industry who made or breaked talents - were looking for freshness and newness. Once a Karan Johar or Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been on Indian Idol as guest judge and made positive comments about a contestant's 'star quality', others too sit up and take notice.

Bottomline: One hopes all this boils down to the eventual Indian Idol winner selling enough albums to be taken seriously as a singing sensation. The public voting by sms is great, but young people voting with their wallets is ultimately what will make the 'idol' a true star.