(From left) Sachin, Manasi Parekh, Ragini Khanna, Anu Malik, Neha Marda, Chhavi Mittal and Sumeet Raghavan at the launch of Star Ya Rockstar in Mumbai

Some serious singing will happen on this stage.” The prediction came from Sumeet Raghavan, actor, anchor and dancer. But when he took the microphone in hand and started singing Kya hua tera waada in a tuneful and confident voice at a star hotel in Mumbai, one realised that he had indeed put his money where his mouth is.

Sumeet is one of the contestants on Zee TV’s new singing reality show Star Ya Rockstar, which pits popular TV stars against each other on a musical platform. “The television fraternity is a mine of singing talent. One hears anecdotes about actors keeping the crew entertained on the sets with their singing. It is time that these gifted singers who are also sought-after names on television are presented before the audience,” said Ashish Golwalkar, non-fiction head, Zee TV.

More than 50 actors were auditioned before the channel could come up with the chosen seven — Sachin Pilgaonkar, Ragini Khanna, Chhavi Mittal, Neha Marda, Manish Paul and Manasi Parekh Gohil, other than Sumeet. The show, hosted by Mona Singh, beams every Saturday and Sunday at 8.30pm. The Saturdays will see the judge(s) selecting the top two and the bottom three among the contestants based on the performances. An elimination will take place every Sunday.

Said Sachin, who has been a part of the industry ever since he debuted on screen as a child artiste: “I have got to do a lot here, yet there was this hidden desire to exhibit my singing abilities. If we sing on screen, even if we do the singing ourselves, people will think someone else did the playback for us. This is the perfect platform.” His rendition of Yeh jo mohabbat hai matched Sumeet’s performance in style and substance.

Ragini Khanna, with her traditional good looks, was introduced as thumri singer Nirmala Devi’s granddaughter. “I have received training in classical singing,” she said, before embarking on a semi-classical number. Ragini, better known as Suhana of Sasural Genda Phool on STAR Plus, admitted that being viewed without expectation as a singer was an advantage for the actors. “But if we sing badly, all the viewers who used to laugh and cry with us, will start laughing at us. And in a reality show, unlike in serials, you have to deliver in one take. No matter how much riyaaz you do at home, if something goes wrong in that one take it’s the end of the story.”

For Howrah girl Neha Marda, who became popular as Gehna of Balika Vadhu on Colors, singing is a stress-buster. “I had the desire to be trained in singing. The show will fulfill that wish.”

But Manasi, who is married to singer Parthiv Gohil, is taking the contest very seriously. “I am surrounded by music at home. I have even participated in a music show on Zee Gujarati. The offer came when Gulaal (on STAR Plus in which she is the lead actress) was ending. I do not intend to take up anything else before this ends,” said the lady. “Are you from Bengal? The first song I learnt was a Rabindrasangeet,” she added, humming Shyamala chhayay nai ba gele with perfect pronunciation.

Another actor who has sung before on regional television is Sumeet. The Marathi audience, he says, would remember him as a participant on Zee Marathi’s celebrity special Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. “I also won Say Shava Shava on Imagine TV about three years ago.”

Till the press meet, the judge of the show was composer Anu Malik. “I am the sole judge,” he announced every time he had the microphone in hand and rattled off his musical pedigree to whoever contested the merit of a single point of view. Sadly for him, the channel has now foisted company on him. Old “friend” Alisha Chinai has joined as the second judge on the show.