Singing his way to the top!

With four more weeks to go, it is still a long way before the audience chooses its fifth Indian Idol. But 24-year-old Sreeramchandra from Hyderabad is happy with the fact that he has made it to the top five without landing in the danger zone even once. Incidentally, after Karunya who had finished as the runner-up in the second edition of Indian Idol, Sreeram is the second participant from Hyderabad who has impressed judges and viewers alike with his versatility. What’s more, even before the final result is out, Sreeram has recorded a duet song with well known singer Shreya Ghoshal for an untitled Telugu film with music directors Salim-Suleiman. Will his consistent performance help him sing his way to victory in the finals? “That’s pretty hard to say because anything can happen,” says Sreeram who started singing way back in school but began training professionally in the first year of his college.

A complete music enthusiast who has participated in singing shows for regional channels before auditioning for Indian Idol 5 earlier this year, Sreeram says getting through the audition stage was his first biggest challenge. “After standing in a queue for 14 hours I got only 90 seconds to impress judges. So that was the first real big test,” he elaborates. It’s been nearly three months of sheer hard work and hours of practice that has seen him through to the top five. “It’s been a wonderful but not tough journey though. But the best part is that my performance has been consistent. Judges and viewers have appreciated my versatility,” he informs.

While he is determined to work hard Sreeram knows that the public votes can throw a surprise anytime. “Nobody is safe till the last vote is counted in the finals,” he reasons. His dream of becoming a playback singer seems to be coming true. “I always wanted to be a playback singer. I was thrilled when (Indian Idol judge) Salim Sir asked me to sing a duet with Shreya Ghoshal,” he smiles.