Indian Idol unplugged

Abhijeet Sawant with fans at Sourav’s. Picture by Rashbehari Das

That simple smile. Those twinkling eyes. And that rocking voice. No wonder women win hands down over men when it comes to Abhijeet Sawant’s fan following. And Calcutta is one place where the feverish adulation just multiplies manifold.

So when the country’s first Idol walked out for a brief appearance at Prince of Cal ? the lounge bar at Sourav’s ? it was sheer frenzy. About 200 women ? from enthusiastic teenagers to embarrassed veterans ? just went crazy over the man who was destined to sing Mohabbatein lutaunga...

It was, in fact a ladies’ afternoon out at the plush lounge and Abhijeet was to do a small jig before rushing for the full-on concert at Science City later in the evening.

While there were games galore and even loads of lucky-draw prizes to keep the ladies busy, they just wanted their share of Abhijeet. Even the pulsating DJ music couldn’t divert their eager eyes from the entrance.

After what must have seemed like ages, Abhijeet made his entry at 2.30 pm, a good two-and-a-half hours late. But no one seemed to mind as the new talent on the block flashed the now-famous smile, setting the pulses racing instantly.

“Why did you keep us waiting for so long?” came a shout, but the smile again did the trick. Coy cribs taken care of, Abhijeet got busy asking the lovestruck among the lot how they were and if they would be at his concert in the evening. The quick promo of his event over, he gave away a few prizes, posing warmly with each of the winners.

Not wanting to annoy the others, he went on a quick ‘touch me if you can’ spree, moving his hands quickly over the outstretched palms of the frantic female brigade. The mad rush for autographs began with ladies offering hands, cheeks and even cheques to get his autograph. The little man with a big celebrity tag was however quick to make an exit into the quieter confines of Over Boundary, the non-vegetarian multi-cuisine restaurant, housed a floor below, where he dug into a lavish lunch spread.