In these days of `Reality-Shows’ being conducted for the promotion of commercial motives, a unique effort was initiated by Door Darshan along with SPIC MACAY (Society for Promoting Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth). These two jointly endeavoued to uphold and promote the values of Indian Culture particularly Classical Music by conducting a National level Competition-cum-Reality Show in the field of Classical Music. It was conducted in two streams, viz., Carnatic and Hindustani parallelly and was started in August 2013 and went on upto the 21st November 2013.

 

                      At the preliminary level, the selections were conducted in the capitals of various states. A total of about 1200 youngsters (between 16-25 years of age) attended and they have been screened by experts in the field. SRUTHI RAVALI appeared for the preliminaries at Hyderabad and got through successfully. Youngsters screened at one level and declared successful were called for the next higher level of selection. After 3 or 4 such rounds, she appeared for Semi-Finals in Chennai. It was a tough experience. Once she got through that successfully, she was called to Mumbai for the final level of the event.

 

                 At Mumbai, 36 appeared in the Karnatic stream and another 36 in the Hindustani stream. These 72 children stayed in Mumbai for about 10 days and each day was one of excitement, enlightenment and an experience in itself. It being a reality-show which would be telecast, they had to stay indoors in the studios of Door Darshan, Mumbai for 12 hours a day. 

                 

                  The personalities who came as judges for this event were: Padmavibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Padmavibhushan Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Begum Parveen Sultana, Padmabhushan Professor T N Krishnan, Sangeeta Kalanidhi Smt. Vedavalli and so on. They too stayed glued to their seats for 12 hours a day. Sri Tripurari Sharan, the Director-General of Door Darshan attended and modestly sat amidst the audience on the grand-finale day.

 

                    A total of three awards in each stream were announced. In the Karnatik stream at the penultimate level, Sruthi sprung up as the best Vocalist and the presitigious `M S Subbulakshmi Yuva Puraskar’ was conferred on her. In the next and ultimate level, she dawned as the `Top-Performer’ and received a cash award of Rs.10,00,000/- (Rupees Ten Lakhs only) from the hands of all these great luminaries in the field of Indian Classical Music.

 

                    All the great musicians spoke before the press after the results were announced. Ardent was the speech of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia who spoke with a humane feel.

                    The extreme levels of patience, tolerance and courtesy exhibited by the staff of Mumbai Door Darshan Kendra are unforgettable.

                   

                    Sruthi Ravali feels that, singing in front of these great luminaries who represent Indian Classical Music itself is the highest honour one would expect in one’s life. `It raised my responsibility’, she says....

 

 

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