However, Tulika is not despondent. She is very clear about what she wants to be—and that is a singer. She reveals her plans in this exclusive interview.
Did you see this elimination coming?
It would be untrue to say that I did not expect this at all. My last performance was really very bad. But still I had some hope. I’ve been giving good performances consistently and I’ve got a lot of praise from the judges. So far, Chamma chamma has been my one and only bad performance.
Do you feel the vote out was a result of the bad blood between you and Priyanka?
No, I don’t think so. The whole thing was a big shock for me. I didn’t know what was happening. Priyanka had never told me anything in person, and for all that to be shown on stage, I thought, was very unfair. But now we have sorted it out.
How do you feel now?
I am sad that I have been eliminated after just one bad performance when there are others here who have given several bad performances but still get votes. But then I don’t think the elimination was not justified either because my last performance was really bad.
On the other hand, I am also very happy that after five months I can meet my parents and my family. They are all waiting for me and I’ve missed them so much.
What do you think about the voting?
I feel the girls are discriminated against. There are so many boys here who get away with average or bad performances. My only plea to the audience is please don’t vote out deserving female singers. Boys have won the title thrice in a row; now it’s high time a girl became the Idol.
Do you think you will be missed?
I don’t know what they have in their hearts. Indian Idol is a competition and we are all competitors here. Nobody thinks so much of the others—they all think about themselves and how they will go forward in the show.
But I know they all love me a lot and that they will all miss me. As a friend they don’t want to see me go, but as a competitor I am sure they are happy that I am out.
What will you take back from this experience?
A lot of good memories, a lot of good friends, a lot of love, a lot of confidence and a lot of great experiences. The Tulika before the auditions is drastically different from the Tulika now. And I would like to credit the judges, my trainer and my friends for the change.
What are your plans now?
I was in the final year of college when I came for Indian Idol. Now I will go back and finish my education through correspondence. Meanwhile, I plan to do something with my singing—I’ll contact event managers and I will do shows.
Then, if my parents allow me, I plan to come back to Mumbai, rent a flat and work towards becoming a playback singer. Torsha and I have already discussed about living together in Mumbai, doing shows and struggling together. I plan to keep in touch with everyone and I’m sure many of them will also join us.
