Telugu Indian Idol 2 winner Soujanya Bhagavathula: Winning doesn’t change anything, the real competition starts now | Exclusive

Visakhapatnam-based Soujanya Bhagavathula, the winner of Telugu Indian Idol Season 2, whom the judges nicknamed Soujanya Ghoshal for her honey-soaked voice, was one of the most consistent singers in the competition and made every opportunity count. Elder sister to popular singer Sireesha Bhagavathula, she earned her first playback opportunity with Arjun Reddy but didn’t taste much success in a handful of reality shows over the years.

Post motherhood and a brief sabbatical from the music industry, she viewed aha’s Telugu Indian Idol 2 as an opportunity to prove herself on the big stage. The platform gave her a chance to feel alive again, challenge herself. One could attribute the win to her talent, hardwork, support from family but most importantly persistence. In a chat with OTTplay.com post the Telugu Indian Idol 2 win, she takes us through her evolution as a singer through the show.

‘I wasn’t a proven talent even before Telugu Indian Idol 2’

Many thought I was a proven singer but I couldn’t succeed in auditions in various competitions in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil. In any major competition in life, I’ve only participated in two episodes at best. Given reality shows weren’t working out for me, I used to croon for singles, chorus in Hyderabad while working in Infosys. I’d sung a track version for Arjun Reddy and Sandeep Reddy Vanga accidentally liked it, finalised it for the film. It happened by fluke. When I was entering Telugu Indian Idol 2, I wondered if I had it in me to compete as a fresh talent with others and I didn’t see myself as an experienced singer. I wasn’t sure if I could match up with a bunch so well versed with music.

On her tryst with singing as part of chorus groups, jingles:

I was only acquainted with a composer Jeebu in Hyderabad and I didn’t have any chances to be familiar with the big names in the film industry. Whenever he worked on short films or small-budget projects, I sang during the re-recording briefly. In most scenarios, I was the only person singing because the budgets were limited. Sometimes I got paid, many times I didn’t, but I viewed it as an investment for the future in terms of getting a recording, studio experience. Because I had an income source already, I wasn’t putting pressure on myself to earn and I took up every opportunity to gain experience.

How her early years paved the way for a career in music:

The atmosphere back at home was very rooted in music. My grandfather was a theatre artist and he was good at playing mythological characters and writing padyams. We had a terrific understanding of Telugu literature early in life. Right when I was 6 and my sister, Sireesha, was 4, my grandad took the initiative to make us sing at public forums, temples, cultural venues.

We started with padyams mainly but they felt we had a keen sense of music too and we transferred from Chattisgarh to Visakhapatnam. Dad, an employee at Central Bank of India, didn’t want to distance us from our roots. We were exposed to the film industry, reality shows in Vizag. My sister reached the finals in most reality shows she’s participated. I was more focused on my academics.

I felt slightly sad that Arjun Reddy didn’t pave a path for me as a singer and my network was limited. After marriage, I shifted to Pune and it restricted my scope further. After COVID-19, motherhood, I barely found time for singing. After a long gap, I tried my hand at the auditions and when I made it to the top 12, I realised I had to work very hard to compete at such a level. I started practicing everyday and my family was a great source of support.

Grooming herself for Telugu Indian Idol 2:

My approach towards music has changed drastically over the years - the understanding of lyrics, vocal exercises, bringing in the emotion and improvising, focusing on audience pulse and a lot more. My sister Sireesha Bhagavathula has made a lot of progress in the music industry and she is an inspiration for me. She is a happening singer with work in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil industries. I sought help from her with music practice, my gurus gave me timely tips, I learnt western classical in the meanwhile and all these influences have shaped my instincts.

Reliving her ‘college days’ with the show contestants:

Back in my college days, I was a first bencher and didn’t make much time for anything else beyond studies. When the 12 of us in Telugu Indian Idol 2 stayed in the same floor during the shoot, we jammed till the midnight and had great fun - there were no negative feelings, jealousy and our only focus was to be at our best on the stage. I tried to help the other contestants with what I knew about music and I learnt from them too. It was a healthy atmosphere, perhaps the best I’ve seen in a reality show. I am going to miss that a lot in the days to come.

Evolving as a singer through Telugu Indian Idol 2:

When I look back at my audition, I could sense that I lacked practice and wasn’t at my best. There was a 15-day gap before the other episodes and it gave me the time to prep up well. I started opening up and got comfortable with the stage with every episode and saw it as my new home. I utilised the stage ambience better and tried my best to not feel conscious in the presence of the judges.

Sai’s (anna) band (who played the keyboard) was quite instrumental in my journey. All of us took inputs from him about presenting each song differently, he deserves credit for our evolution and it helped us be ready for the big stage. Geetha Madhuri was particular about pronunciation, sound; Thaman was very straightforward and didn’t mince words and it was crucial for us to better ourselves. Listening to comments from the judges and the guests became a ritual and we got used to the feedback. I’ve seen a huge improvement in my singing.

On being hailed as ‘Soujanya Ghoshal’, handling social media fame:

Initially, it was shocking to be compared to Shreya Ghoshal but I saw it as a responsibility later. Even if I manage to do 10% of what she does, I would consider myself successful. I knew I had to improve myself with every round with that comparison. I haven’t taken it to heart and I want myself to be Soujanya Bhagavathula first. She’s my role model and I observe her keenly but I don’t want to imitate her.

The ‘stress-free’ experience of performing at the Telugu Indian Idol 2 finale:

Till the semifinal episode with Devi Sri Prasad, we were slightly nervous, conscious of our performances and wanted to do prove ourselves. We were prepared to be eliminated but gave it our best shot. The pressure that we felt till semi finals completely vanished by the finale. The finals would be judged on the basis of votes and it freed us up. The votes would have already come in and we had nothing to lose and it was like singing in a concert.

Did the guilt of not being a hands-on parent haunt you during these three months?

I was very concerned about how my family was handling the situation in the house. We sometimes got our songs in the last minute and there hardly any time to prepare. In most video calls, my daughter never cried and it was a relief that she was happy in the company of my parents and in-laws. They used to visit me on the sets and my daughter never left me when I was around. I sat in the car till the vehicle proceeded to the next lane and got down when she wouldn’t notice. I used to cry a lot out of guilt but I signed up for this and had to go forward.

Being in the company of august guests, film stars:

Koti, Devi Sri Prasad, Chitra, Allu Arjun, Nani despite achieving so much on an international level were so down to earth and they encouraged new talent so warmly. I became a bigger fan of their off-screen persona after noticing them. Allu Arjun took time for all top 5 contestants and personally congratulated me for being an inspiration for many women who were unsure of taking their ambitions forward.

Recording for Thaman’s song in Chennai in the middle of the show:

When I sang in the Ammaku Prematho episode, Karthik (garu) requested all composers to give me an opportunity - I saw it as a compliment but I never imagined I would receive a call for playback immediately from Thaman (garu). I had to record the song and also practice for the next episode, where I had to sing Ee Swasalo in front of Chitra, in just under five days. I was very nervous about balancing both but Thaman and his team made me feel at ease in the recording. Sri Krishna, who assisted him, took care of everything and Thaman gave me a lot of time, suggested a few changes and it all finished smoothly.

The journey from being another singer to a performer in a reality show:

It was tough initially, I didn’t know how to face the camera and I followed many performers - like those who sing for AR Rahman and other playback singers here. My sister gave me tips on presenting well on stage, how I can carry myself, alter my expressions, she was an inspiration and it made my job easier.

Final word for all women like her who experience self-doubt and wish to chase their dreams:

It’s never late to start. Even if you’re surrounded by people younger than you, don’t treat yourself overqualified or experienced - I am the biggest example for that. Take help from your family and come back and make your own choices, chase your dreams. It’ll definitely reflect on your kids. When you’ve not achieved what you wanted, the dissatisfaction and the negative energy will rub onto the kids too. My family didn’t want me to regret later. If all works well, one could be an inspiration for their kid. Though you may have the guilt of not spending enough time with kids, it’ll give them the motivation to chase their dreams later.

Has life changed post being crowned as the Telugu Indian Idol 2 winner?

Winning, honestly, doesn’t change anything - it was always about how I performed, bettered myself and learnt from every opportunity. All the top five contestants are equally talented. The real competition starts now and the world will expect us to do a good job when we get an opportunity. To meet their expectations, we need to practice more. We may have done a good job with live singing but need to find our groove with recording in a closed studio. The journey begins from here. It’s a comeback for me. Despite singing for a big film, I couldn’t make use of it and I overcame all my apprehensions to participate here. I got the exposure I wanted and I’m happy.