After Amit Kumar, Salim Merchant said – ‘There is pressure to praise the contestants in Indian Idol’
Reality shows remain in the discussion in the TV industry. Not only do people like to see them, at the same time they also come in the discussion due to controversies. Singing’s popular reality show ‘Indian Idol 12’ is also surrounded by controversies these days. The controversy started with the allegation that the guests on the show were called and asked to praise the contestants.
In this reality show special episodes were telecast to pay tribute to Kishore Kumar. In that show, Kishore Kumar’s son Amit Kumar was invited as a special guest. After the show, he had said that the makers had asked him to praise the contestants against his opinion.
Singer-composer Salim Merchant, who has joined the reality show ‘Indian Idol 12’ as a judge, has also expressed his opinion in this controversy. He has previously been a judge on Indian Idol. During an interview, Salim was asked whether he too was asked to praise the contestants when he joined the show as a judge. In response, he admitted that yes, he was also asked to do so, but still he never did.
In the interview, Salim Merchant told RJ Siddharth Kanan that, ‘Yes, I was asked to do the same, but to tell you honestly, I never listened to him. That’s why today I am not involved in any show as a judge.
Merchant further said that, ‘I used to praise the contestants not because I was asked to do so, but because I used to see the merits instead of the flaws in them. I believe that if a singer is praised, he can do better. You have to be generous while evaluating the contestants. Many times it happened that the directors of the show said – please don’t speak negative. Still, I am a little smart in this matter. I always find faults, but do so in my own way.
