Lakshmi smiles on idols for Durga Puja

MUSIC: Contestants from different talent hunt shows are charging hefty fees for live performances

The season of talent hunt shows on Indian television is almost over. Zee television's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Sony TV's Indian Idol III have been wrapped up already and Star TV's Voice of India is gearing up for its finale.

But the euphoria surrounding the contestants of all these shows has gained steam only now especially as the festive season has just kicked off.

Aneek Dhar, the proud winner of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, for instance, is already preparing for his world tour that includes the US and London. While the two-month long tour will start in November, he is right now stationed in Kolkata for Durga Puja festivities. "I perform for two-three hours non-stop and make sure that audiences feel satisfied," he says.

According to Ashish Kaul, executive VP, Zee Network, the talent show has enjoyed universal credibility over the past 14 years "" a reason why inquiries keep pouring in for contestants to perform all over the world.

"Top contestants from other talent shows earn less than Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contestants," he says. While newcomers for this season of the programme are already slotted in the Rs 3-5 lakh category for live shows, last year's winner Debojit earns Rs 8-10 lakh for live shows, travels business class and stays in five-star hotels.

Interestingly, the contestants' regional connection also draws the organisers to them during the festive season. So there's Mauli, one of the top contenders of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, who, by the time she was eliminated, gathered a huge fan base for herself.

The show essentially played up her Gujarati roots "" she's an NRI otherwise "" and, predictably, her performances have been the highlight of this year's Navratra celebrations. She earns Rs 3 lakh per show and travels to cities in Gujarat, Mumbai, etc.

"Our show has already put a premium on them," says Kaul, adding, "I have to stand in line too to book Debojit for my shows."

He further says that a majority of the top 12 contestants of this year's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa have already been signed for various shows. "Some have even been booked for the next two years," he adds.

Abhishek Mishra, a contestant of Indian Idol who got ousted in the show's seventh round, says he is happy performing at live shows. "The day I was eliminated, my mother started receiving inquiries from organisers who wanted me to perform at Navratras and Durga Puja functions," he says.

Sony BMG, in fact, has been promoting its contestants in a unique way and four boys from this year's Indian Idol "" Abhishek, Parleen, Chang and Suhit "" have already been signed to perform together in Mumbai during Navratras.

There will also be a show in Delhi and there are inquiries from Hong Kong, Nepal and New York too. Though they are earning Rs 70,000 each for every show, the price is likely to go up further.

Gajendrra Singh, producer, Star Voice of India, says: "None of our contestants are allowed to perform right now because the show is still on. However, we have already received inquiries not just for shows in India but also for play-back recordings and live events abroad."

He says that most of the contestants will earn Rs 3.5-4 lakh per show and will be booked for at least 15-20 days in a month.