Sawai Bhatt’s powerful voice, with a distinguishable Rajasthani folk touch, has him standing apart from the lot of Indian Idol 12 contestants. His journey on the singing reality show thus far has been a bumpy ride. While on a couple of occasions, he was pulled up by the judges for not remembering the lyrics of the songs he was performing to, social media users targeted him and the makers for ‘creating drama’ around his desire to quit the show midway. However, despite all odds, Sawai has grown from strength to strength through each episode and is now one of the hot favourites to bag the trophy.
In a candid conversation, Sawai, who belongs to Didwana, Rajasthan, talks to us about his journey in the music world, from being a puppeteer and performing with his father and developing an ear for music to becoming a household name.
“I am not a trained singer. Whatever I know, I have learnt from my father. I developed an interest in singing by observing musicians around me. I was about eight years old then. We used to do puppet shows in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur and other nearby places. My uncle had a smartphone and I learnt much of my singing by watching YouTube videos on it. We used to perform in jagrans in nearby villages where people used to pay us Rs 20-30,” recalls Sawai.
Talking about how he landed on the Idol stage, he says, “My maternal uncle told me about online auditions of Indian Idol this season. He recorded my audition tape and uploaded it. The support of my local people has been instrumental in getting me where I am today.”
On how Sawai adapted to the change of musical environment around him on the Idol stage where he gets to perform with a professional live band, he says, “I was not aware of the different ways of singing a song. With the help of music coaches, I am able to sing songs of all the genres. On top of that, we get to perform in front of ace judges and their feedback helps me. My co-contestants have also been supportive in this journey. I never thought of performing with such respected musicians from our band. They have helped me in understanding the tempo of music and the importance of stability in notes. Sharing a stage with all of them has been a precious experience.”
When asked how he has seen himself evolving over the weeks, Sawai says, “The Rajasthani folk touch is present in my singing. I try to perform to the best of my abilities because some of the songs we perform here are very new to me. I focus on the fact that my inputs and additions to the song should be evident. People should know that I have lent my own style to this song and I aim for that every time.”
On the competition front, Sawai shares he sees Mohd Danish or Ashish Kulkarni with him in Top 2. He is all praise for Danish for helping him in this journey. “I am very close to Danish. He has helped me not just in the music bit but in understanding other aspects of life.”
What is in store for Sawai after Idol wraps up? “God has a plan for me. I want to do good by my parents and build a house for them. I want to support underprivileged and talented musicians like me. Bollywood will be a dream come true,” he signs off.
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