Accomplished folk singer Ila Arun who will be the mentor for the ‘folk' gharana, said, "This show is different as it educates the people about the roots of the various forms of music."

Anand Raj Anand, in his usual candid style, commented, "All three of us will have differences of opinion, but we will sort it out in a friendly and respectful manner."

Three mega finalists each have been chosen from four cities (Chandigarh, Kolkata, Chennai and Bhopal), while the Mumbai leg of the competition will take place tomorrow. The response so far, says judge Durga Jasraj, has been overwhelming. "It started out as a show, but it's now become a movement on its own ," says Jasraj.

Great response "For example, in Chandigarh, the local associates were so overwhelmed with the talent unearthed, that they asked us to select 30 best talents, which they would promote on their own in the North Zone. And in Bhopal, the Madhya Pradesh government will provide scholarships to six best participants."

These rewards have come as a welcome addition to the main prize that the show offers to the six winners ­ an episode each on DD's Ideal Jalsa, showcasing their talent, and a one year music scholarship from the IMA. "And if they do well, the scholarships can also be extended to three years," says Jasraj. "But in cities like Kolkata, the zonal winners are already being asked to sing in concerts."

Young participation "The winners will also get to share stage with noted musicians when they perform," adds Pt Ratan Mohan Sharma, who will be judging the Mumbai round with Jasraj and sitar maestro Niladri Kumar. "That's how they'll learn to stand on their feet."

But most of all, the fact that the maximum participation for the talent hunt is from youngsters, has the judges beaming the most. Says Jasraj, "The media has raised concerns whether youngsters are taking up these genres, so it's heartening to see so many youngsters step up. In fact, we've seen that the younger people are far better in terms of creativity, quality, content and confidence. In fact, one of the finalists is an 11-year-old boy!" The judges are also not worried about any doubts that the contestants may have about the selection processes, since various Indian genres are pitted against each other. Explains Pt Sharma, "Ultimately, music lies in seven `surs'. Whoever is most knowledgeable, and does best within these `surs', is clearly the best."

Fair judging Jasraj concurs, adding that only those finalists who had an indepth knowledge of their respective genres were chosen. "Plus, even the audience would loudly applaud the deserving participants. Whoever has won so far, has touched the hearts of everyone in the audition."

The six winners of the competition will be selected by an eminent jury, consisting of Pt Jasraj, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia and Jagjit Singh, on December 11 in Mumbai.