Friends, Indian Idol
continues its heartfelt and courageous journey,
and today, we proudly
celebrate the day
that gave our country its constitution.
Happy 76th
Republic Day, India!
[song playing]
A big round of applause
for all our real-life heroes.
And won't get to know much about them
if these reel-life heroes
don't bring these stories to us.
So please welcome the heroes of 'Skyforce, ' Akshay Kumar
and Veer Pahariya.
[patriotic music playing]
- Hail Mother India! - Hail Mother India!
Amazing! Akshay sir, Veer,
your film 'Skyforce' has released,
and it's getting so much love.
Could you tell us a bit about 'Skyforce'?
Firstly, it's based on a true story.
It's about people
whose stories the world doesn't know.
There was a brave soldier,
Squadron Leader A.B. Devayya.
He was a hero who did something
extraordinary, something his country, the Air Force, and even his family
only learned about 23 years later.
- He got the recognition after 23 years. - Oh.
So today marks 60 years since that war.
Through this film,
we get to know about their story,
our brave men, who gave everything
so we could live in a free India
and enjoy occasions like this.
[applause]
Thank you, Akshay sir. Thank you, Veer. Please, have a seat. Sir.
[song playing]
- Wait a minute. Aditya. - Yes, sir?
There's one more judge. Where is he?
Is he late?
He's sent a message saying he'll be here in 5 minutes.
But who knows how long that '5 minutes' will actually be.
When he comes, let's embarrass him.
Everyone stand and clap.
Oh, look, Badshah here. The king has arrived.
Right?
I have a feeling he will not get embarrassed.
Because he's always like this.
No problem. We should get embarrassed.
What should we do?
Is there a song for someone who's always late?
[singing]
Yes, we'll sing that! We'll sing this.
- Vishu sir. - Yes, sir? - It's time to call your favourite,
- Chaitanya. - Amazing!
- Aditya, I'd like to talk to you. - Yes, please.
Today, Indian Idol is celebrating Republic Day.
And I'm happy because
my uncle is here with us too.
He's a retired soldier from the Indian Army.
[applause]
Everyone, please welcome with a huge round of applause
the retired constable of the Indian Army,
Sachin Sapkal.
[song playing]
Sir, may I ask you
if there's a daring experience
you'd like to share with us?
In my 19 years of service,
I was given many tasks.
I was a soldier in the Corps of Engineers.
The most memorable one was
when I was on duty in Pune.
There was a flood in Sangli and Kolhapur
- at that time. - Yes.
[melancholic music playing]
There was a village called Bhilawadi.
I had a team of 12 people with me in that village.
It was a six-day rescue operation.
In those six days, we rescued
70 people
and moved them to safety.
[applause]
And it's memorable because
the blessings they gave us
still make me feel good today.
And honestly, I don't feel like I'm retired.
There's a dialogue from sir's film...
- A soldier's never off duty. - Off duty.
[song playing]
Thank you, sir. We salute your efforts
and contribution. Thank you so much, sir.
Thank you. It's an honour to have you here.
- Chaitanya, all the very best. - Thank you, sir.
[music playing]
[singing]
- Wow! Amazing! - Amazing!
[music playing]
[singing]
Wow!
Oh, my God! Wow!
So low and so high.
[singing]
Amazing!
[applause]
[singing]
You brought out the emotion, Chaitanya.
You put your soul into this song.
You felt every word and every line.
- Very well done. - Thank you so much.
Yes, the range was definitely a challenge for you.
Your lower notes gave you a tough time.
The first attempt was all right.
You stumbled a bit on the second one. But
it's all forgiven because you sang from your soul.
- Thank you. - Emotion is always more important
than many other things.
- Thanks so much. - Fabulous.
This is an episode of 'daring at heart.'
You chose a song where the low notes
are out of my reach,
and the high notes, too are beyond me.
I'm known for my range.
And what you did here
was pure courage.
It's the kind of bravery
a soldier is known for
when entrusted with a task to manage the Indian Idol stage.
Genuinely, it is very
courageous. I really salute your courage.
- Thank you so much. - Great job, man.
Chaitanya, since this happens to be a song from my film,
let me first thank you for it. You sing beautifully.
And I noticed something, those clouds behind you...
It was pure coincidence that they moved upwards
just as your song was ending.
The clouds started rising up.
And it was as if the clouds were also singing with you.
Wonderful. Wonderful.
Thank you very much
- for singing this song. - Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.
Let's ask someone here what they thought of the performance.
Who should we pick?
Alright, you tell us.
- Jai Hind, sir! - Yes.
Sir, Chaitanya sings brilliantly.
Sometimes his songs make you want to dance.
We'd love to see you...
- The stage is all set, so... - Hey!
Amazing!
It'd be great if we could all dance together here.
Of course, sir. Your wish is our command.
We will definitely dance
together.
Woah!
Amazing!
[music playing]
[song playing]
Hey!
[song playing]
[laughter]
Judges, give scores to Chaitanya's performance, please.
Just a minute.
Please sit down, my dear.
You should drown in shame.
- Okay. - Badshah.
Tell me one thing, why are you late?
- I mean... - You're giving me the mic, shamelessly.
- Where are you coming from? - Jodhpur.
The best blankets are available in Jodhpur, right?
- The blankets are very very popular. - World famous.
- Oh-ho. - Yes. I heard you're lazy too.
[laughing]
They're telling me, you're always sleeping under the blanket.
Is it?
It's winter, sir.
It's tough to get out from under the blanket.
Okay, sit.
Okay, guys. Let's start.
Presenting, Idol's daring girl
Manasi Ghosh.
- Aah! - What a catch.
[singing]
- Yeah! - Ah-ha.
[singing]
Oh, wow.
[singing]
[cheering and applauding]
- All hail Mother India. - All hail.
You have so much spunk to you. I mean, the way you sing...
And you sang the notes...
- What do you call taking it up and down? - Antics.
The antics were...
There was a line about life, what is it?
- Why are you telling me? Tell sir. - I forgot, sir.
- She saw you and forgot it completely. - Come on.
- 'Zindagi apni vaar de.' - Yes.
Oh, that one.
[singing]
That's more like it. That's the passion.
- Please say something. - What can I even say?
You made everyone dance and sway to your song.
I had never heard the female energy
in this song, in this way.
You're a rockstar.
Come on, Manasi.
Thank you.
But where are your questions?
I'm waiting for Manasi to ask her questions.
- So that there will be controversy. - Sir.
Sir, you have no idea, she's very dangerous.
No, let's do one thing.
- We'll send everyone. - Okay.
I've brought a treadmill for you.
[laughing]
You can ask as many questions as you like on that.
I will keep increasing the speed slowly.
Are you ready for it?
- I'm very prepared for this. - Oh, God.
- Come on. - Are you? - Yes.
Let's go, or else, we'll have to get on the treadmill.
Yes, everyone, please go back to your seats.
Bring the treadmill, please.
[music playing]
The game is,
as and when she asks the question
I will answer her
- and the speed will also increase alongside. - Wow. - Huh?
We are now starting
on number three.
We'll see how far she will go.
Oh.
Do you know Benching
and Breadcrumbing?
- What? - What's that?
Some Gen-Z slang.
Benching and breadcrumbing,
these are new terms
- in the relationships. Do you know these terms? - No, I don't.
Increase the speed.
But you don't know the answer.
Which language are you speaking in?
- What does it mean? - I will tell you.
Tell us.
Benching means, even if you're in a relationship
you already have a backup.
- It's a workaround. - Wow. - You've broken up,
- Yes. - So...
Badshah, this is your area of interest.
Pay attention.
And breadcrumbing means,
you're not committing completely to someone
but you're just giving them attention once in a while.
So that they stay with you.
So that they don't move on fully in their life.
- That's breadcrumbing. - Like how you toss grains to pigeons.
Hindi was so far ahead.
- 'Tossing grains' is a very old terminology. - That's right, sir.
The next question is,
Have you done benching and bread crumbing before getting married?
[laughing]
Yes, why not?
I mean,
what's to feel ashamed in that? Increase the speed.
No, sir.
Next question.
Sir, uh...
I forgot the question.
Did you forget?
Manasi is sweating for the first time.
[laughing]
Manasi, you said you were prepared for this.
Sir, I thought I was prepared.
She thought it would start from the speed of one.
Okay, sir. Where did you go?
- I'm right here. - Okay.
'Where did you go?'
Hilarious.
So, sir, I am
- a very big fan of Mrs Twinkle. - Okay.
I have seen many of her interviews.
Ma'am said,
'Men are like handbags.'
'So when you get bored of them'
'just change your handbag.'
What is your opinion on this?
- See, whatever ma'am says, - Hmm.
- ma'am is always right. - Okay.
- Correct. - So, if she says,
'Men are like handbags.'
Then we are like handbags.
She also said,
'Men are like dessert, they can never become the main course.'
'What do you want to say about that?
Then that's right. Whatever she's saying is right.
- Hmm. - Are you married?
- No, sir. - No?
Do you want a man like him, like me?
- How are you? - Like...
Like the way she's saying.
She's crazy.
How will we know how you are as a husband?
[laughing]
The poor guy is saying that he's like a handbag.
'If she says we are handbags, then we are handbags.'
'If she says we are desserts, then we are desserts.' What more do you need?
It's fine, then.
- It's fine. - Oh, it's fine?
Tell me something. You quietly did something here.
She quietly reduced the speed when no one was watching.
Hard work.
She's a very cunning woman.
- I have one more question. - Yes.
- She's a wild character. - Wild, huh?
- Yes. - We all know that you're very disciplined.
Have you had any co-actor
who was not at all disciplined?
Or they are not punctual and you don't want to work with them.
- Whoever I have worked with - Okay.
they all come on time, according to them.
And everything gets managed.
See how we managed when Badshah came late?
[laughing]
I was about to say that.
Accordingly, everything gets managed.
Come on.
Are we done already?
Wonderful.
- Thank you, Manasi. Thank you, sir. - Thank you, Manasi.
- You were great. - Thank you, sir.
Thank you, Mr Akshay.
Flowers of change grow in the soil of this country.
The great warriors who die for the country
are found in this country.
I'd like to share of story
of one such warrior, with all of you.
'On 1 April 1965,'
'a warrior was born'
'in the Bhiwani District of Haryana.'
'His name was Ram Kumar Lamba.'
'In childhood, when the rest of the children'
'played with their friends in the soil and got dirty'
'at that time, Ram Kumar Lamba'
'made the soil of the country his biggest friend.'
'At the young age of 20, he became'
'a part of the Grenadiers Regiment, 18 Grenadiers.'
'The greatest achievement of his life'
'was when he was chosen'
'for the 1999 Kargil War.'
[tense music playing]
'Lance Havildar Ram Kumar Lamba's'
'strong attack'
'destroyed not only the bunkers'
'of the enemy but also their spirit.'
'The country waved its flag'
'in Operation Vijay.'
'But sadly, during this operation'
'we lost Veer Chakra'
'Lance Havildar Ram Kumar Lamba.'
'Great contribution has been made to save the honour and pride'
'of this country by Veer Chakra Lance Havildar'
'Ram Kumar Lamba.'
'The country will always'
'bow down in front of his contribution.'
'Today, Indian Idol'
'salutes martyred'
'Ram Kumar Lamba.'
[song playing]
We are fortunate.
We have a special person among us.
He is the son of Vir Chakra Martyr Ram Kumar Lamba.
Give him a big round of applause.
Please welcome Mr Nagender Singh.
[patriotic song playing]
[applause]
Hello, sir.
I was six years old
when my father passed away.
I have
a very few selective memories with my father.
[sad music playing]
I was spending my summer vacation with my father.
That's when he got a message.
There was an emergency.
He had to go back to his unit.
As soon as he went to join his unit
he received a message.
A few militants have hijacked
the peak of Tololing and The Tiger Hill area.
When they went out patrolling
they found out that
the Pakistanis have had control all over the place.
On the night of 2nd and 3rd June
preparations were made to attack.
When the attack took place
on Pakistanis, they got furious.
They started blindly shooting mercilessly.
[bullet shots fired]
My father
was hit here first.
He was also shot in his shoulder.
When my father thought
that he was going to die, he didn't want to let them get away.
He took a grenade.
He threw the grenade.
He threw it on their bunkers. All the bunkers that they had
were blasted off.
[applause]
One Pakistani was hiding.
When he came to my father
they both had a fight.
- My father killed him too. - Excellent!
And he lost his life, too.
On July 26
our Indian Army has achieved victory.
But to my family...
[crying]
My family...
My family started struggling with life since that day.
[crying]
[song playing]
Sir, your father has sacrificed his life.
We are safe because of him.
Now that I have heard your story
it is proven yet again that
when a soldier sacrifices his life
his family will have to make the sacrifice, too.
[song playing]
I am proud.
I am proud of being a martyr's son.
[song playing]
Friends, we are going to honour such brave heroes now.
Our next singer, Subhajit Chakraborty.
[applause]
[singing a song]
[emotional music playing]
[singing a song]
Thank you so much.
When you sing
every single word is very clear.
You balance a moderate tempo.
Can you sing the last verse, once again?
[singing a song]
What a voice! Wow!
[applause]
Excellent.
This is such a nice song.
Everyone back then had this song memorised.
It was a nine-minute-long song.
I remember when the cassette for 'Border' was released.
We used to go and check whether the cassette was out or not.
When we heard this song, we all memorised it.
I think if this song was made now, you would have actually sung it.
You would be an excellent representation of India.
You are zen. You are a simple man.
On top of that, you have skills.
I think you would have been perfect if this song came out now.
- Beautifully sung. - Thank you so much, sir.
This song truly touches our hearts.
There's a line that goes, 'My old mother is at home'.
'Touch my mother's feet'
'and tell her about her son.'
It was so beautiful.
Our hearts break when we hear that.
I can understand
what that son was going through when they got the message.
This song represents
that feeling.
You have put forth that emotion beautifully.
I am reminded of a song from our film.
The name is 'Maaye'.
I think you will do justice for that song.
Can I come there and sing with you?
- Oh wow! - Of course.
- Sorry, I am feeling a little shy.
There are many great singers around here.
I will try my best.
[applause]
[singing a song]
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Your paan is very famous. Didn't you get it today?
I brought a very unique paan.
The name of your movie is 'Sky Force'.
It is a similar paan.
- I will bring it out. - Sky Force Banarasi Paan.
Definitely.
Oh my god!
Oh!
Sir, do you know...
[suspense music playing]
- Akshay sir will eat the paan. - Shall I eat the paan?
[upbeat music playing]
How was it, Veer? Tell us.
I feel like I am flying in the air.
Nice. You sang really well.
Oh wow! It's a surprise.
Judges, please score Subhajit's performance.
SG, your potential love interest is coming up next.
Aditya Narayan. Priyangshu Dutta.
[applause]
[singing a song]
Wow! Excellent!
Well done! Well done!
Oh wow!
Wow! Wow!
Wow!
[singing a song]
[applause]
Mind-blowing.
This boy deserves a hug.
What is he doing?
I am so proud of you.
He is literally shaking.
At this point, his hands are shaking.
He didn't just sing this song.
He sang it from his heart and his soul.
Emotions. Perfection.
In his voice...
With his entire soul and his interpretation
he brought justice to this song.
I am so moved, Priyangshu.
They say that we can recognise the talent miles away.
I saw it during his audition.
I knew that he will achieve something.
He is doing it.
In every single episode
he gives us a lot more than 100 per cent.
You are about to become
an iconic artist.
[song playing]
Keep shining.
God bless you. I am very touched.
[song playing]
What is he doing?
I think you are one of those singers
who will make this season memorable for everyone.
You are an icon of this season.
In a very short span of time
you will achieve great success.
Thank you so much, sir. Thank you so much.
[clearing throat]
I... No, it's not that.
- No, I am so happy... - I...
- What do you do?
Why act like a hero saying you're not crying?
- If you are, then cry! - No, I'm not crying,
I... You don't get how happy I am.
I even teared up a bit during your performance.
After that,
I felt something beyond words.
That pause you took, you know,
like when a lion steps back...
- Watch your performance! - Wow!
Literally, took a breath,
and then came in full form...
Your true form comes up!
[singing]
What you became in those moments,
when you experience those emotions,
you have to live in that space.
To truly become an iconic artist,
like Shreya mentioned, if you want to fulfil all this...
The fun is on... Everything...
But when you go on stage...
You must consistently embody
what you showed us today that it's within you.
- Amazing! - That is...
That's where Priyangshu lives.
- I'm so proud of you. - Thank you so much, sir.
So proud of you.
- I mean... - Thank you so much.
Wow, man!
- My brain just exploded... - Yeah, today...
- Unbelievable! - Exploded! Exploded!
Thank you, sir. Thank you so much!
Bridge-breaking performance!
- Amazing! - You shattered the bridge.
Shattered...
Judges, please give your scores for Priyangshu's performance.
[song playing]
The way he sang! Uff...
So presenting, the new legend of old legacy,
Sneha Shankar.
[singing]
[applause]
Sneha, the way you sang was how it should be.
The nuances...
But if you'd carried those to the end,
it would've elevated it. The first mukhda
should've come straight from the heart...
You'd see the effect of your song...
It's impossible that people wouldn't cry.
That's how this song is.
This song has so much pain in its notes and words.
That feeling was crucial,
it seemed to slip somewhere.
When you sing, it must make me feel like my country is the greatest.
This emotion is what's needed. God bless you.
Thank you.
I really feel that
just singing in tune isn't enough any more.
Now you have to sing with an understanding of the song's meaning.
The tune is mechanical,
it's just practice, not putting your soul into it.
But when you sing,
the meaning must come from your soul.
Without that,
it won't work.
First, say the words, understand them.
'Teeja tera rang tha me to...'
'Jiya tera dhang se main to, tu hi that maula, tu hi...'
Meaning someone to whom
I've surrendered
myself completely to my country.
Am I part of this country?
That's the desire? I live and die for it,
- but is it watching over me? - Wow!
Sing with that kind of emotion,
like you're asking your mother.
I'm getting goosebumps while saying this.
Okay? Try and do that. If you do this,
your song will improve. Good luck!
Thank you so much.
- Sneha, I'd like to introduce one of your admirers. - Wow!
Let me invite, CRPF Deputy Commandant
Thakur Jai Shankar Rai on stage, sir...
Sneha, I'm a huge fan.
We follow you on social media and everywhere else
because your voice is so unique and special because of which
we constantly admire you.
- Thank you so much. Really means a lot. - Thank you.
Sir, you've faced tough times.
Would you like to share?
Until 26th November 2022,
life was normal. I was on operational duty,
transferred from Sukma's jungle
to Chandigarh.
On 26th November 2022,
I was diagnosed with stage four cancer.
[sombre music playing]
My seniors
posted me to Bombay for treatment,
and I learned I had limited time.
Trained by the army, wearing this uniform
helped me. I refused to give up no matter what.
I was determined to fight cancer with that willpower.
I've undergone 32 chemo sessions,
and yet, here I stand.
In two years, I haven't taken
a day off.
[applause]
You can win over anything
if you're mentally strong. No problem
can defeat you.
[applause]
- Thank you so much, sir. Once again. - Thank you.
- Best of luck, Sneha. - Thank you so much. Thank you.
So presenting, Maestro Mayuri Saha.
[applause]
[singing]
[applause]
- Wow! - Mayuri...
What a choice of song!
This one's so intricate,
so many nuances,
it's a test for any singer.
Ordinary singers cannot sing this,
wouldn't dare attempt it, or think of it.
Yet it's a song
that every Indian holds dear
despite being so complex because its sentiment is so beautiful.
'Vande Mataram' means
we're thanking our motherland,
our country,
for everything we get from here.
Not for money, fame, or wealth, but for the simple things.
'Sujalam, Suphalam,'
'Malayajashitalam.'
The fruits, water, and air.
Thank you for these essentials. We're alive because of you.
This is what you're saying. It's a beautiful sentiment,
- really touching. - Thank you, sir.
Absolutely magical.
'Vande Mataram,' no matter how many times we hear it,
- it touches our hearts. - Absolutely.
And Mayuri, you sang so beautifully.
You truly set the tone for today.
Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, sir.
Judges, please give your scores for Mayuri's performance.
[applause]
It's time for the fifth elimination of Indian Idol season 15.
So according to this week's judges' scores
our bottom three contestants are
Mayuri Saha.
Ranjini Sengupta.
And the third name
is Sneha Shankar.
[intense music playing]
According to audience
The name is
Ranjini Sengupta.
Mayuri and Sneha, congratulations. You are safe.
[melancholic music playing]