Purnima Saikia. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, July 10: Doordarshan and SPIC MACAY will hold an audition August in Guwahati for the aspirants from the Northeast for its proposed reality show on classical music.

Speaking at a news conference today, officials of the Guwahati chapter of SPIC MACAY and Doordarshan said their reality show, Naad Bhed, was inspired by the popularity of the reality shows on private television channels.

“SPIC MACAY feels that a similar platform can be used for promoting and popularising our classical arts. That is why we have decided to organise a national competition of classical music, Naad Bhed, which, with the support of Doordarshan would be broadcast across the country. SPIC MACAY and Doordarshan will produce the programme taking on board maestros of Indian classical music as judges. The judges would include T.N. Krishnan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Begum Parween Sultana, Vidwan T.V. Sankaranarayanan, Pandit Hari-prasad Chaurasia, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Vidushi Vedavalli,” said Rikhiya Chakraborty, secretary of the Guwahati chapter of SPIC MACAY.

Chakraborty said the aspirants from the Northeast will have to apply within July and the audition will take place in the first half of August. “The event will attract participants from across the country through regional rounds of competition at Doordarshan’s 20 regional centres. The quarterfinals being conducted at Calcutta for Hindustani music contestants with judges from Sangeet Research Academy and at Chennai for Carnatic music contestants with judges from Madras Music Academy. All these rounds will culminate in the national final on DD national network. The aim of the initiative is to promote and popularise our classical music all over the country,” said Purnima Saikia, programme executive of the Guwahati centre of Doordarshan.

Saikia said the reality show would be held in six categories — Hindustani vocal, Hindustani instrumental, Hindustani accompanist, Carnatic vocal, Carnatic instrumental and Carnatic accompanist.

In each category, the winner will get Rs 2 lakh as cash award. One mega winner in each form, Hindustani and Carnatic music, will win Rs 1 million each. Besides, all finalists at the national level will receive Rs 10,000 as appreciation reward.