In the two decades that he has spent working in Mumbai, Gajendrra Singh has become more of an institution within the television industry. He is the unseen force behind Antakshari, the guiding hand behind Cinestars Ki Khoj and the hand that shaped Voice of India. Singh has managed what few else in the industry could - getting veterans in the industry to endorse and support raw talent that traveled to Mumbai to compete on Singh's TV talent hunts. Driven by a passion to hone fresh musical talent, Singh has now started an academy that will nurture this talent. Several other of his dreams also lie latent, waiting to come to fruition in the near future. The reclusive TV producer shares some of his dreams and vision in a rare tete-a-tete with Radioandmusic.com's Aparna Joshi.

Excerpts:

How has the journey thus far been?

I first landed in Mumbai in 1983 and started my career with editing. But after a while, I decided I had to do something more than just this. I had the germ of an idea about Antakshari from my college days, and I fleshed it out with a friend. We went from door to door trying to promote the concept. Doordarshan, which was the primary channel in those days, refused to have anything to do with it. I had by then begun work with Zee TV as a technical director. I suggested my concept of Antakshari and it was accepted, all thanks to the vision of Subhash Chandra ji. Sa Re Ga Ma followed shortly, then came Cinestars Ki Khoj....we actually started the wave of reality shows right here.
Today, I am very proud to say that I came from nowhere, started as a nonentity ...and was able to create a genre that has worked so well throughout the country. Today, I feel good that these shows have caused a revival of sorts in the country - people today have started respecting Hindi, Hindi songs, ghazals and bhajans. Even old music has been revived!
It gives me immense pleasure to see all this....of course, I owe my entire identity to the directors, researchers and my team which supported the vision, and of course, Subhash Chandra Goyalji who made it all possible.

Do you have a background in music? Does music run in your family?

Not at all. But I have an instinct for music. I cannot listen to bad music. And I can not be a part of bad music. I have had no formal training in music though...the two big pillars who have supported my format have been Anand Sharma and Anuj Kappoo...it is they and my team who have made all my dreams possible. Annu Kapoor, Sonu Nigaam, Shaan...today they are all an integral part of me. I sometimes feel it was all pre-ordained, the way Annuji (Annu Kapoor) too came to my show!

The channel wanted Sajid Khan to host Antakshari initially, whereas I would have preferred Annuji. Somehow, I and Sajid just couldn't get along on the first day, and he walked out. I was sitting there on the sets crying, wondering what to do next. I called Annuji for help and although he had been rejected by the channel, he returned and that made all the difference.

Are anchors like Annu Kapoor, Shaan and Sonu born or can they be created?

Born! They came, and we just walked together. About Abhaas, it's still early days, but the initial response to him has been very good. People even asked me why I was sabotaging my career with such a choice, but I usually go with my gut feeling. Sometimes, the decisions are almost a divine gift, and I simply go along. I could have picked any of the biggest names from the film industry this time, but I went with Abhaas. I discussed it with Shaan, and he too said, "Go ahead."

What about a show like Antakshari? Can it work anywhere in the world, or is it specific to India, where it has been around for generations?

It can work anywhere. It's a concept that can be pulled off anywhere....

Are you now planning to create formats that can work internationally?

Yes, that's our next step now. We are in talks with production houses and companies to develop new shows and soon something should be finalised. But then, they have been copying Indian concepts already....what was American Idol too? It came in 2001, whereas we tried the same concept in 1994. We started the talent hunt, the contests, the singing competitions, finding the best singer in the country....we had it all here first!

Do you think the Idol concept hogged more attention with the focus on the drama, the tears ?

Didn't we do the same in 1994? Didn't we capture Annu Kapoor's tears on stage in the UK way back in 1996? Renuka Shahane also broke down during the show in the UK, and it was the precursor of all the reality shows anywhere. We have done it here first. It's just that I have always only let my work speak.

You also have innnumerable clones of the same genre domestically. Is it a bit of overkill now?

If you have an agenda behind your show, then it's fine. But if you put a musical show on air just because it's the done thing, it will never work. There has always been a purpose behind my shows, be it a Voice of India or a Chhote Ustaad.

Sadly, the other shows have been very superficial. They have only been getting the jokers on the show, to create some momentary highs! You create a star for some months, and then six months down the line, the winner doesn't have any work on hand!

You have taken a rather radical decision to empower judges with more votes than the SMS votes on Chhote Ustaad. Do you think it will go down well with the viewers?

There's always a first time. Fortunately, Star Plus has not interfered with any of my decisions. All they have asked me to do is to make the entire system transparent. And they will support me all through, as long as the show is neat and clean.

Is the talent that's coming out of hunts nowadays the type that will stand the test of time?

Surely. Irfan has already sung in four films, Toshi has sung for two films. I track their careers, I am responsible for them. If they turn failures, I will consider it my failure. I don't want to give them high hopes and then dash their hopes.

Bollywood celebrities often make appearances on talent hunts. How much do they help or hamper the proceedings?

I don't think they really hamper the proceedings. Honestly, it does help the show. Also, it helps participants in that they get to reach out to a large part of the film industry to which they would never have a window otherwise.

Have you thought of doing anything apart from music shows?

Very much. In another year, you will see us doing a movie, a fiction show and also a different genre of reality show. These are the three things in my plan.
I plan to do something completely different now.

Have music talent shows on TV reached a saturation point?

No, the wave has just started. The wave will reach a crescendo only when we can create a Michael Jackson of our own, when the singers achieve the status accorded to an Amitabh Bachchan or a Shah Rukh Khan.

But aren't singers in our country relegated only to playback?

They will not be so for long. I can proudly point out to you that before shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Voice of India, not many people knew music directors in India. Himesh Reshammiya, Sonu Nigaam and Shaan...all of them happened thanks to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa challenge. I think over 60,000 people turning up at the Andheri Sports Complex to watch the Voice of India finale was a great thing...not even a Filmfare awards can boast of that!

So, the trends are definitely changing now.

How is it that suddenly talent has been mushrooming throughout the country?

The talent was always there, but it was always stifled. They all came to Bombay, and they all died here. I come from a small town, and I know that. Harshit, for instance, didn't even have the fare to come from Lucknow to Mumbai. Now, he has already sung in three movies.

How do you cope with the tremendous personal involvement with the participants that the shows demand from you?

You have to be passionate about your work. If you don't feel that passion, it won't work. Jayant, for instance, who is one of the singers on Chhote Ustaad is likely to lose his vision completely in five years. His entire focus is now on music, which will help him even if his vision fails. The power of the show is such that now a team of doctors from the US and Bangalore will be coming to see him. But all that has been possible because we are all so emotionally connected on the show. I find that emotional disconnect on other similar shows on other channels.

How do you view the trend of bringing in celebrities and creating music talent hunts around them?

As an idea, it's very good that everybody is given an opportunity to sing. But while other skills can be picked up with practice, it isn't possible with music. And I don't think India will tolerate off key singing from anyone.

With what objective did you start the academy?

During my 14 years here, I always felt there was something lacking. It's easy to reject someone, but when you go through the tears, the heartbreak, I used to get equally disturbed. It's difficult to explain rejection to talented youngsters who come from no music background but are determined to learn more. That's how the dream of the academy was born - to take on students who show potential, to hone them into good singers and to give them a chance in this industry. We have 32 students now who stay together in the gurukul and learn music.

Would you be open to working with Zee again?

I would look forward to it. It's been my alma mater, and whatever anyone may say, I am always proud of my association with Zee. I was a part of it when it was being built block by block. So if the management ever decides to work with me, I would love it...it would be like going back home to do something!