 "Music Katha Ha"  "Music Pitae ha "  Lover Boy Amit |
Win or lose, Amit’s the Idol
- 40000 screaming fans welcome singer home in shillong
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Shillong, Sept. 3: An unassuming youth who left Shillong some months ago in
pursuit of a dream returned home today a phenomenon.
Donning the Khasi warrior’s attire, complete with a turban, and flashing that
winning smile, Amit Paul looked every bit the Indian Idol that he aspires to
be as hometown Shillong gave him a reception to remember.
Frenzied fans followed him everywhere ever since he touched the Khasi
heartland, Mawlai. A similar welcome awaited him at Umroi. Girls dressed in
their traditional best and representing the three tribes of Meghalaya — Khasi,
Jaintia and Garo — screamed as he waved to the crowd.
Amit also visited his alma mater, St Peter’s School at Dhankheti. Police had a
tough time controlling the crowd. To their credit, they managed the
40,000-strong crowd at the J.N. Stadium well just when it looked like a
stampede would spoil the show.
The Sony TV representatives accompanying Amit were stunned. They admitted to
not expecting such an incredibly hysterical homecoming for the lad.
The Shillong Arts and Music Lovers’ Forum toiled overnight to put up the stage
and set up the sound system at Polo Ground. Amit did not disappoint the
fawning home crowd, singing the two songs that made him the judges’ favourite
on the Indian Idol 3 stage — Nasha Yeh Pyar Ka Nasha Hai and Pehla Nasha Pehla
Khumaar — with elan. The crowd crooned with him, raising their hands in the
air and clapping excitedly.
Addressing the gathering, Amit said he was delighted to be home, even if for a
day. He looked a little tired, but you could not tell it from his performance.
Once he gets the microphone, Amit just comes alive. “He is a deadly
performer,” one of the organisers said.
It took much persuasion from the organisers to keep fans from mobbing their
idol. Polite to a fault, Amit appealed to them to “please step back a little”.
He then engaged the crowd by asking them to sing along, karaoke style.
Chants of “We want Amit” echoed across the huge stadium. After singing six
songs, including his favourite Khasi number Nga dang iai kynmaw iaphi baieied,
Amit was whisked off by security personnel.
Meghalaya police deployed their special operation troops to provide security
to Amit. The Shillong lad wanted to travel to all localities to thank the
residents for their support, but Sony TV’s strict schedule for its protégé was
the spoiler. In any case, traffic had gone haywire as people invaded the
streets just for a glance of him.
For Amit, another source of disappointment was not being allowed to stay at
home. Such is the price of fame that Shillong’s first reality television star
was left with no choice but to spend the night at Air Command House for
security reasons. Air Marshal P.K. Borbora made the arrangements for his stay
there.
Amit will leave for Guwahati tomorrow morning, from where he will head back to
Mumbai for the final leg of the contest. As for his fans here, they will just
have to continue the SMS spree or call the designated BSNL number to vote for
him. Mawlai legislator P.T. Sawkmie has sponsored 40 PCOs to enable Amit fans
to vote.
“We just hope the public euphoria translates into votes,” said Sweety Pala, a
producer of new-generation Khasi films.
Going by the reception accorded to Amit by his fans, vote they will. Never had
the town seen such an assembly in one place and perhaps not in a long time to
come.
More News / Articles on Amit here
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