Punjabis Rejoice!!!! 3 Participants from Punjab make it to top 15 of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012

2 finalists from Ludhiana

The list of finalists:

Arshpreet Kaur

She is a very quiet and reserved person, and very introvert. Mom is a good singer.  She was a singer in her college days. Father is a lyricist in Punjabi albums. When she was in Voice of India, father had business of manufacturing gate grills etc. But for her career as she was in many shows, he had to discontinue his business, as he had to be with her, accompanying her everywhere. She is the eldest of 4 siblings. She is most attached to her father as she spends most time with him. Food: indian food esp Kheer. Actor: Shahrukh Khan, coz he is lovely in every role. He is so romantic. Inspirations have been her parents coz they have always encouraged her for taking up singing. Her maternal side of the family has been associated with singing though they could not make it big, so they all look up to Arshpreet’s success. After winning future plans: she wants to stay in Mumbai and work towards her singing career. She will not go back and waste more years that she did last time when she was in voice of India in 2007. She is very determined to stay in Mumbai and struggle. Miss the most: being with her family. Esp her nanaji. Best friend: she doesn’t have any best friend kinds… but she does have friends. she shares everything about her life with her mother. Music ki shuruat: she had been singing in school competition but never started learning till she was in college. It was in college that she began individual performances in ghazal singing. Then began her formal training in singing. Imp music event: Sangam Kala group, participated for 3yrs and won in the third year. That gave her a lot of opportunities. Meet someone?  Richa Sharma, coz she mostly sings her songs and she likes her singing. Her IDOL is Richa Sharma and Jaspinder Narula. Talent apart from music: likes to dance (Bollywood), likes to act. When at home she cooks one meal of the day for her family, and she enjoys doing it. Love life: comes from a very conservative family, she is single. Motive:- Wants to become a successful playback singer.

Jaspreet Sharma (JAZIM)

He is the youngest of 3 siblings. His father had worked part-time as an anchor for DD Jalandhar, so he was always keen in this field and had many contacts as well which helped in his learning.  His father had a music CD shop he used to visit the shop much and listen to songs there. That’s when his father identified his interest in music and got him to learn music at the age of 5. He had also been interested in cricket but his craziness in music took over. His family has been very supportive of him. He has been on SRGMP in 2009 and now in 2012. He had been very conscious of his stammering hence didn’t take part in many reality shows. He has been doing a lot of youth fests etc. He is s gold medalist at national level in Thumri and Ghazal. At the age of 14 he lost his first guruji (Vijay Sachdeva), from he had learnt for almost 7 years. After his death Jazim had almost quit singing. That’s when Sunil Sethji boosted him up and revived his interest in singing. Even today Jazim seeks guidance from Sunil Seth (in Bathinda). He also worked as a teacher/trainer in several youth festivals in Punjab in (folk orchestra, semi classical, ghazals, playing the background score etc). Post his graduation he moved to Mumbai University to do his MA Music, and to seek more opportunities. He has a complete music set up at home as he is also interested in music direction. He likes to play harmonium, table, and synthesizer. He is most attached to his parents. He also loves his brother and sister. He is a very family boy. Though he has been living away from family off and on but still misses his family. Earlier when in Punjab he used to still meet his family 2-3 times a week but since he is in Mumbai he can barely meet them. His best friends are Jaskaran, Akash (have been his friends since primary school.); Kumar Sharma (met him in SRGMP 2009 (very close in very less time); Rakesh (DJ in bathinda); Harishmani from Jalandhar; Navraj Hans; Jimmy-Kannu (2 brothers in Mumbai, they are music directors from Amritsar); Prasanjit Chakraborthy (from Banaras gharana, living in Kol). His first Guru Vijay Sachdeva and Sunil Seth who got him back to singing after his first gurus death, have influenced him the most. His inspirations have been Ghulam Ali Khan sahib, coz he adores his ghazals. He has grown up and still listens to a lot of his ghazals. He feels privileged to have got a chance to sing in front of him. After Ghulam Ali he admires Shankar Mahadevan. He wants to opens his own studio in Mumbai so that he can make his own music. He also wants to continue practicing sufi, thumri, Bollywood, Punjabi and ghazal singing. He also wants to bring forward the talent of India, which haven’t been able to come forward coz of financial constraint. That’s why he wants his own studio as well, so he can bring forward their voices to many. He is very emotional and wants to help the poor children in whichever way possible. He wants to do something for the social cause esp with the deprived children. His motive of coming on SRGMP is Fame along with learning a lot with a variety of contestants. He is thankful to the show for giving him a chance to perform in front of Shankar. Shankar has a lot of influence in Jazims singing. Given a chance he would like to meet Asha, Lata most definitely and Hrithik Roshan (he wants to ask him how he recovered/dealt with his stammering). When free he likes to watch movies and hanging out with friends. He loves to eat Paneer and Bhindi. His favorite actors are Aamir Khan for his superb acting, and Hrithik Roshan. One of his shows in Kolkata got a very good response. He can never forget that. Love life: Single-Committed to music.

Shehnaz Akhtar

He is the third among 5 siblings. His father died of heart attack when he was 8 yrs old. His mamaji supported a lot, mother worked in people’s houses. He hails from a musical family. Dadji was a singer, father too was a singer and played Dholak. He had been singing on stage even as a child. After father’s death he worked for almost a year to help mother financially. He had to quit his studies meanwhile, that’s when his sister began singing and put him back to studies as he was a bright student. He was sent to a hostel until class 10, where he was completely cut off from singing. His father’s student Mr Kuldeep Singh supported his family a lot in the time of crisis. He is like a brother to Shehnaz. Came back home in class 11 & 12, that’s when he started music again, until he was sent to Chandigarh for college (his sister and mom wanted him to study and do well as he was good in academics). There he took part in a lot of youth Fests, live shows, stage shows etc. today he is thankful to his mom & sister for taking the decision of pushing him to study and not singing when he was a child, as that has made him a person to stand up in confidence. He is a big big fan of Shankar Mahadevan, and feels privileged to have performed in front of him and having a chance to meet him though this show. He also likes Sukhvinder Singh. He wishes to sing for Salman Khan. His father was very very supportive of his singing, he misses him the most when he gets a lot of praise and appreciation for his singing, coz it was his father’s dream to see him as a successful singer. He wants to live up to his father’s dream and maintain that tag of a successful singer for a long long time. He wants to be successful such that he gives all the comforts and luxuries and happiness to his whole family, esp. his mother and sister, which they had sacrificed for the family’s well being, after his father’s death. He is most attached to his mother and sister, he also loves his younger brother. Food: karela mom-made, non veg cuisine, esp KFC. Actor: Salman Khan, coz he is very smart and he is a very nice person in real life. Aamir Khan for his superb acting. Influenced in life: His elder sister, and his mother. Inspiration: his cousin brother Dilshad Akhtar (famous singer in Punjab), as he has been listening to his songs as a child. Win-future plans: winning this show will be his first step towards his playback career. Wants to be very busy with work that he shines like a star. This is such a big platform. Miss the most: Mom and younger brother. Best friend: Gaurav (met in Ludhiana, he is now studying in Delhi), Manpreet in Ludhiana, cousin Salim. Imp music event: When he was some 7 yrs old he and his father went to a remembrance show for a Punjabi actor. There one barely gets a chance to perform, and after a long wait when Shehnaz’s turn came, he was made to sing 2-3 songs, and was highly applauded and awarded and was given an appreciation trophy. This was very motivational and encouraging for the 7 yr old young kid. Meet someone? Lata, Asha, Preetam, Salman, Aamir Khan. Talent apart from music: loves to play snooker, and cricket. What at free time:- Facebook, hang out with friends, chatting with mom (very rarely), playing cricket