The stage was set for some latent talent that was to be exposed later in the evening. Colourful balloons added to the feeling of merriment. The crisp winter evening warmed up as our DI children came up on stage one by one. Our little stars were both excited and nervous as they awaited their turn to take the centre stage.
DI opened the stage to its member children and one by one talent in different forms was presented in the evening that followed.Children were divided into four age groups of 4 to 6 years, 7 to 9 years, 10 to 12 years and 13 to 15 years.
Our illustrious judges, Jaya Seal Ghosh and Biplab Dasgupta, were greeted with loud applause as members expressed gratitude and admiration.
The rules for the evening were read out by MC Shaheen Faiyaz. Children would be given up to 3 minutes to perform and present their talent. Shaheen then let the ‘heart and soul of DI’ take stage. Starting with the youngest, kids from each age came up one by one to the stage to present what they could do.
The Littlest: 4 to 6 years.
Junior Md. Rafi, Shivaansh Parasrampuria, looking handsome in bow tie and jacket and perched on his mother’s lap, came up on the stage to sing the ever popular ‘Sir jo tera chakraye’. Several attempts by his Mum to get the little singer to sing, however, proved unfruitful as the little one appeared to be stage-struck. I am sure we will be lucky one day soon, and will get to hear little Shivaansh’s rendition of the famous Md. Rafi and other songs. We are waiting, Shiva!
Next came six-year-old Jaden Robinson, looking like a ‘Rockstar’. He took the stage confidently and told the audience that he would be playing 3 songs on his synthesizer. A little technical help was needed to get his instrument of choice ready for him. Jaden began his performance with the ever cheerful ‘Happy Birthday’ played beautifully. He then moved on to ‘God is building up the house’, and ended his grand performance with ‘Sunday Morning’. The loud applause filled the air as he finished.
The youngest performer, four-year-old Ranveer Pruthi energetically danced to the ever-popular ‘Tan tana tan tan tan tara’ and mesmerized the audience. His mother in a lovely blue jacket hint-performed off stage and it was nice to see the mother-son duo. A big round of applause followed the performance.
The Little: 7 to 9 years
The 7 to 9 years group was not so little, considering that this group had the most performers and showcased varied talents, ranging from recitation, singing, dancing and playing music.
THE RECITERS: Being able to recite long poems with expressions and from memory is certainly an admirable talent, one that was displayed by many of our little champs.
Seven-year-old Mishal Faiyaz recited ‘Betty at a Party Atry’ by an unknown author. The funny poem, beautifully recited, was very entertaining. Mishal was followed by Zainab Rangwala. Wearing pretty silver sandals, the eight-year-old beautifully recited ‘Daddy fell into a pond’ by Alfred Noyes. At the same age was Rayed Faiyaz, who expressively presented Roald Dahl‘s 'The dentist and the crocodile'. Rayed's gorgeous smile and manner of rendering were a treat to watch.
Devaansh Duggal, also at 8 years, recited a poem 'I wish...' which made us all think of our unending wishes. His little sniff added to the humour of the poem, and his last wish of being 'simply me' brought us all down from the tall ladder of wishes we all draw up. Suhana Choudhury, a year younger than Devaansh, was sporting a white kurta pyjama and Nehru coat and recited in Hindi the funny poem, 'Ibn Batuta' who lost his shoe.
THE DANCERS: Then came the dancers, first of whom was Ranveer Pruthi, 8, who held the audience with his very innovative and spectacular dancing to 'Ganpati bappa moriya'. The roaring drum beats of the vibrant song set the tone for his energetic and thoroughly entertaining performance. Ranveer's unexpected and effortless breakdance on his choice of song was enchanting.
Arushi Mintri's enchanting performance was a show stopper and drew a standing ovation from the judges and the DI members present. Arushi danced to three songs, each different from the other, beautifully presenting the varied styles perfected by her. Starting with 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo', Arushi displayed a range of beautiful moves along with excellent expression. Her charming smile seemed to indicate that she too was enjoying dancing. As a member of the audience, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed watching her electrifying performance. She moved on to her next song 'Dilli wala' and presented the thumkas with elan. Arushi's expressions matched the words she lip-sang. In the last song, ‘Shape of you’, she continued displaying her versatility.
Nysa Gomes Das, 7, looked splendid in an exquisite white gown with a long flowing skirt. The crown on her head made her look like a little princess. With sparkly pom poms in her hands, Nysa's moves revealed her talent, and the DI members were treated to yet another gorgeous performance comprising three songs. Nysa's charming smile throughout her dancing reflected her confidence and talent. Nysa’s performance ended with a swag namaste.
THE MUSICIANS: Sporting a ‘cool dude’ hat, 8-year-old Dylan Tims played two beautiful songs on the synthesizer. 'Saints go marching in' was followed by 'Seaside stroll', both of which elicited loud applause by the appreciative audience. Armaan Ashraf, 9, exquisitely strummed his guitar while playing the beautiful song 'Hawain'. Without any accompanying background music, it was Armaan's talented performance that had the audience mesmerized.
THE SINGERS: Looking bright and cheerful in the colour of sunshine, Ari D'souza , 7, sang 'Ten thousand ways...' Background music accompanied his beautiful and tuneful singing and soon the audience was swaying with him.
The not so little: 10 to 12 years
Although the number of participants in the age group was few, we had very good performances in every category listed for this talent show. First came 10-year-old Ishrat Gambhir, who mesmerized the audience with her graceful moves as she danced to 'Man-mohini'. Each step, each pose, was beautiful to watch and Ishrat received a loud applause when her dancing ended. Off-stage, she was upset because she had stumbled once. But she managed it so well that it was hardly apparent. Her practice and presence of mind stood her in good stead.
Next came Adrian Tims, 10, who strode confidently onto the stage with his guitar. His rendition of a medley of three songs - 'Grandfather's clock', 'When Saints go marching in' and 'On top of Old Smokey' – was quite remarkable. His confidence with his guitar showed both talent and the hard work and effort he had put in for the competition.
Eleven year old Rene Gasper came on the stage and wished everyone a very good evening. Looking dapper in his black waistcoat, combined with white shirt and black trousers, Rene sang to 'Thinking out aloud'. The background music and the wonderful singing set the mood for the lovely evening. He ended his performance with a little jig, which was appreciated by all. He was followed by 10-year-old Jawharatus Sharaf Rangwala. Jawharatus recited 'The louse and the mosquito' with expression and brought to life the humour in the composition.
Not little any more: 13 to 15 years
First on stage was Eshaa Chandgothia. She played two all time favourites, 'Pehla nasha' and 'Chura liya' on the synthesizer. Her melodious performance made everyone sway to her lovely notes. Sitting in the audience, we all could imagine Aamir Khan swaying to Pehla Nasha. Next came the multitalented Imaan Faiyaz, with her guitar. She played and sang popular romantic numbers 'Can’t help falling in love with you'. The romantic feel of the evening continued, with Imaan's beautiful performance.
Shae-Lynn Samuel was next and sang 'Every day is Christmas'. The background music and Shae-lynn's singing entranced the audience, actually making us feel thankful for such a beautiful evening. Shae-Lynn was surrounded by young fans as she came down from the stage, even being hugged for her superlative performance.
It was Nisreen Rangwala’s turn now. Her chosen song was 'Raabta', a difficult number because of its fast pace. Nisreen's raspy voice added a special feel to the beautiful song. She was truly a 'roshan sitara' that enthralled the audience. Last on stage was Rayd Feroze, who danced to a vibrant Spanish song. His brilliant moves portrayed his flexibility, amazing the audience. His floor moves, jumps, break-dance, all were a sight to behold.
As the last performance of the memorable evening came to an end, MC Shaheen Faiyaz announced a 10 minute break, during which sister and brother duo Christabel and Lorenzo D’Gama treated the audience to a hilarious skit, which had the audience, especially our little champs, rolling in laughter. Hard-of-hearing Granny was played by Christabel and her grandson by Lorenzo.
Soon judges Jaya Seal Ghosh and Biplab Dasgupta announced the prizes. Mrs. Ghosh advised the participants and parents to nurture inherent talent and to practice. Mr. Dasgupta, a DI member himself, praised the 'little angles' and encouraged them with his words and appreciation. All performances were wonderful to watch. Prizes were given to the best as judged by our esteemed judges.
4 to 6 years:
Runners up: Ranveer Pruthi
Winner: Jaden Robinson
7 to 9 years:
3rd prize: Rayed Faiyaz and Mishal Faiyaz
2nd Prize: Rajveer Pruthi
1st prize: Arushi Mintri
10 to 12 years:
3rd prize: Jawharatus Sharaf Rangwala
2nd prize: Adrian Tims
1st prize: Rayd Feroze
13 to 15 years:
3rd prize: Imaan Faiyaz
2nd Prize: Shae-lynn Samule
1st prize: Eshaa Chandgothia
As the talent show came to an end, a big thanks was given to the Entertainment committee, especially Minu, Brinnelle, Shaheen, Michael, Aanya, Tanya, Rajashree and all others who made the evening happen.
All little champs got lovely treats in boxes from Saldanha Bakery. Each child was given a certificate of participation and the winners received prizes as well as certificates. The talents, some hidden, some less known, had an opportunity to emerge and foster, encouraging the little ones to achieve better in the future.
