‘I tied Rakhi for the first time...’
“I just wanted to be consistent and focus on my performance, and more importantly, enjoy being part of the show,” adds the singing sensation. Then again, wanting to be consistent and actually being consistent are two different things. Shanmukhapriya admits that performing well in every episode of the show was indeed very challenging. Among the best of her performances through the show was when she rendered Kishore Kumar songs and Asha Bhosle songs — undoubtedly the show-stealers. But every time she sang
well, she was under pressure to perform just as well or even better for the next episode.
THE LEARNING CURVE
Always thankful for the helpful tips given by the judges in the show, the young singer believes that the experience of the show made her grow musically and better the nuances of her music. “I cherish the experience of singing before such ace singers; the feedback from judges and music mentors were insightful and made me grow better musically. Also, I learned a lot from the judges. What’s more, listening to their stories was very inspiring,” she says.
THAT OVERWHELMING FEELING
Amidst all the excitement of being on her dream reality show and then doing as well on it,was the fact that Shanmukhapriya was the first Telugu girl to make it to the finals of the Indian Idol show. While she couldn’t be prouder, she’s grateful for the love and support she got from the audiences and people from the Telugu community. Shanmukhapriya also ascribes her success to her parents who are musicians and her school and college management for their constant support. Saying all of it means a lot to her, Shanmukhapriya reveals that the night before the grand finale, she experienced many emotions. “I knew the grand finale was when I’d perform last, so I wasn’t worried about the result. I was content with my journey throughout the show and glad I was consistent till the end,” she elucidates. In fact, her consistency even got the young lady several offers much before the final was over. She’s signed two Hindi projects. Additionally, Vijay Deverakonda has
promised her that he’d make her sing.
A RAKHI BROTHER ON THE SHOW
One of the biggest moments and the highlight of the grand finale was when host and singer Aditya Narayan, who’s also the son of renowned singer Udit Narayan, asked Shanmukhapriya if she could be his younger sister. An emotional Shanmukhapriya obliged with a warm hug. “Like Aditya, I too don’t have siblings and we are our parents’ lone children. But when he asked to be his sister, I was so emotional and I was short of words; it was a memorable moment,” she says who even went on to tie rakhi to Aditya. “That was the first time I tied rakhi in my life; it was a very dear moment.” Incidentally, Udit Narayan and his wife also sat in Shanmukhapriya’s parents’ gallery to watch her performance in the finale. Udit even went on to say on air, “Shanmukha is my rock star baby daughter.”
Presently pursuing BSc Computers from Sree Kasyap Degree College, Vizag, Shanmukhapriya says she’s done with reality shows for now. Having participated in around 12 reality shows over the last 12 years. The teen singer says that she’s looking forward to being an independent musician. “But before that, I want to complete the offers I’ve got,” says Shanmukhapriya.