Prashant Tamang, a policeman who went on to become an “Indian Idol-3” but lost his life last week at the age of 43, will once again be heard in an episode of Police Idol, turning the broadcast into a poignant reminder of a humble journey that left a lasting imprint on the Darjeeling hills and beyond.
Sources said that the Bengal police started the inaugural Police Idol (north Bengal chapter), a singing competition for police personnel.
“Over 1000 police personnel from the eight districts and other police units had participated in an online audition,” said a source.
From the audition, the top 30 singers were selected for the next round of competition.
The first episode of Police Idol was aired on a YouTube channel on Monday.
In the first episode, the 30 participants were introduced along with the three judges — Sourav Hom Roy, Chandan Lomjel and Barnali Basu.
A well-known singer from Kalimpong, Albert Kabo Lepcha, also performed at the inaugural episode. Albert is heard talking about the Darjeeling boy Prashant Tamang.
The recording was done much earlier than January 11, when Prashant died at his New Delhi residence following a cardiac attack.
Sources said that Prashant had also appeared in the Police Idol and would be featuring in one of the episodes.
“Many episodes have already been recorded. Apart from Prashant Tamang, the episodes also include singers like Amit Paul (who was a runner-up to Prashant at the Indian Idol contest) and Puspen Pradhan,” said a source.
The inaugural Police Idol (north Bengal chapter) has become a poignant event following the untimely demise of Prashant. He took up a job with the Kolkata Police in 2002 after the death of his father, Madan Tamang, a traffic constable, in an accident.
A talented singer, Prashant, joined the police orchestra. Life for the Shah Rukh Khan fan took a dramatic turn after he won Indian Idol in September 2007 and bagged a ₹1-crore music contract with Sony.
He soon became a celebrity and joined the film industry in 2009. His debut film, Gorkha Paltan, in which he played the lead, was a smash hit in Nepal. But he did not forget his first employers.
“My job as a constable with the Calcutta police means a lot to me. It’s a very emotional thing as I got the job because of my father’s death,” he told The Telegraph in 2012.
“And what I am today is because of the support from my department, and that’s why I don’t want to quit.”
Prashant’s last Bollywood project, after the successful web-series Paatal Lok 2, is the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer Battle of Galwan, set for release in theatres on April 17.
Sources said that Police Idol, organised under the initiative of Rajiv Kumar, DG, was likely to be completed by the end of February.