Sony’s “K for Kishore”, programme is interesting.  It has the following elements which makes it better than the average music competition: it is a niche programme - the competition is only for those who sing Kishore Kumar Songs, the three judges are  someway or the other connected to Kishore kumar songs, a chosen few group of singers have already been selected and any new person can only challenge them.

With this kind of a programme, there is challenge, there is music, there are heroes and there are villainous streaks.  In short there is all the masala one looks for.   Bappi Lahiri, the music director for some of the songs sung by Kishore Kumar, Amit Kumar his (Kishore Kumar’s) son, and Sudesh Bhonsle who once was a good copy of Kishore kumar are the judges.  Sudesh Bhonsle is the same person who used to sing for Amitabh Bachchan.

The direction is equally interesting.  First there are snippets which are shot before the competition itself.  These snippets are that of the competitors and then there is brilliant lighting and vision mixing.  In all a good spicy mix.

However, one question that comes to the mind time and again… is the programme coming after its time is past.  In other words would the programme have done wonders a few years back.  In Delhi Kishore Kumar and Mohd. Rafi competitions used to be held every year till a few years back.  These were very popular.  Everybody wanted to get into the shoes of the three great Hindi film singers (Kishore Kumar, Mohd. Rafi and Mukesh) who passed away within a few years of each other leaving an empty space which is still not fully filled years after they passed away.  The sons of at least Kishore Kumar and Mukesh tried to become play back singers but did not have the same kind of success.

As for as those who loved Kishore’s songs are concerned it is difficult to say whether they would like the programme or not.  The singers do bring back those songs which are no more played in FM radios however, the singers aren’t bringing the same magic as Kishore Kumar.  Would their ears reject these copy cats?  Well, it is for Sony TV and the sponsors to figure out.  I for one would wish to stick with my old cassettes of the great singer.