By Subhash K. Jha
IANS
Mumbai : Five Pakistani contestants taking part in India's music talent-hunt show "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007" are fed up with the vegetarian food being served to them at their temporary residence in Mumbai. Culinary setbacks notwithstanding, the Pakistanis are having a blast in India.
"They are hardcore non-vegetarians and have to settle for green veggies since the cook is a Brahmin who refuses to cook any non-veg. Such is the frustration that they smuggled some eggs and cooked them when the cook was away," a source from the show's team said.
The Pakistanis — Wasi Effendi, Junaid Sheikh, Mussarrat Abbas, Sikander Ali and Amanat Ali — had even conjured up a prank to get non-vegetarian food on their dinner table.
"They got really innovative," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. "They made up a story of how the channel had asked for a cookery competition and that the best person to cook non-veg will win! Every day is a struggle to think up of ways to eat the greens they have come to dislike!"
"The whole idea of the 'vishwa-yudh' (as the talent hunt is called) started with the idea that the 'sargam' and 'gayaki' is the same in India and Pakistan," the show's creative head Payaol Patel said.
"While there are a lot of opportunities in India for talent to be showcased, in Pakistan, not many shows are available for participation."
Now, when a few of the Pakistani contestants stand a good chance of making it to the top, is there a chance of Indians getting hostile about outsiders stealing the show?
No, says Patel. "Today, in India, Pakistani singers have been accepted very well. Be it Junoon, Strings, Jal, Nazia Hassan, Hassan Jahangir, Ali Haider, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the more recent Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
"So these guys definitely stand a very good chance. And as one of the mentors had said, 'Pak singers ka gala bohut sadha hota hai kyonki woh riyaaz bohut karte hai' There is absolutely no resentment between the contestants.
"There definitely is a lot of competition as participants of a common show. In fact a lot of Indian participants are trying to learn the Pakistani style … mix of Sufi, Punjabi and folk."
Patel does not believe that the Indian contestants are unfriendly to their Pakistani counterparts.
"The one thing I would like to mention is that the 'bahar ke log' theory is a figment of negative imagination. We are responsible for the borders that we have created. If it is true that we don't like things Pakistani, then songs like 'Juda Hoke Bhi', 'Mitwaa', and 'Jiya Dhadak Dhadak' would not have been such big hits," he said.
As for who among the Pakistani contestants is the best, Patel shrugs: "Difficult to say. All are very good. Mussarat is getting the best response from the audience. But the Indian and Pakistani contestants are very comfortable together and they stay together. In fact the cookery competition was a team effort!"
The five Pakistani team members have been touring Mumbai in their free time. They have visited the Gateway of India, Haji Ali, Siddhivinayak Temple, Juhu beach, Esselworld and a made special trip to savour Mumbai's very own vada pav.
"We had taken them on a special request by one of the Pakistanis, Wasi, who called it Aloo bandh," laughs Patel.