Indian Idol Season 10 (the Indian version of the Pop Idol) format aired in July 2018 and it was the best series ever! The winner Salman Ali was crowned in December later that year and I believe he has an outstanding voice.

I was ecstatic that the finalists were coming to perform live in Birmingham and the concert was titled ‘Indian Idol Reloaded’. The show was taking place at the International Convention Centre on the 13th of April 2019, a not be missed event in my option. This contestants during the competition were extremely talented and it was going to be my first musical concert I was attending. The artists who were performing at the musical extravaganza included Ankush Bharadwaj, Salman Ali, Neelanjana Ray and Nitin Kumar.

It was the day of the show and as you can imagine, I was super excited! I went to the event with my dad by car and it was beautiful summer’s day which made the journey even more pleasant. We arrived at the ICC, Birmingham and it was a fantastic looking building from the inside which was also wheelchair accessible. Brilliant! We were then escorted to the auditorium and to our seats by staff who were all suited and booted which made me feel like a VIP.

The lights went out and the show was about to begin with Ankush Bharadwaj gracing the Birmingham stage. The audience screamed and went crazy and he performed to the song “Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai” (“Today the weather is very seductive”). He sang the romantic track brilliantly and everyone was singing along and I just knew it was going to be an unforgettable evening of music and entertainment. The second song Ankush sang was “Dard-e-Dil, Dard-e-Jigar Dil Mein Jagaya Aapne” (“You awakened the pain in my heart”). I loved this song as he put his own style to it. Following from this Ankush Bharadwaj sang “Chahoonga Main Tujhe Saanjh Sawere” (“I will love you from morning till evening”). This was a wonderful performance as Ankush sang with great passion and conviction and I was truly blown away. Another amazing performance followed to the song “O Meri Mehbooba” (“Oh my Beloved”) originally sung by Mohammad Rafi. This was yet again a fabulous version of the song and the talented singer was grooving along with the audience which was great to see.

My all-time favourite songs of Ankush’s performance were “Badan Pe Sitaare Lapete Hue” (“With stars wrapped around your body”) and “Yamma, Yamma” from the movie Shaan (Pride).These were both electrifying performances, the atmosphere and musicians were absolutely brilliant! It was an out of this world experience!

Neelanjana Ray was the next finalist to entertain the Birmingham crowd with her sensational voice. Neelanjana made her entrance on to the stage and received a fantastic reception from myself as I am a huge fan and from the crowd. It amazes me that at the tender age of 15 how she manages to reach those high notes so effortlessly and still delivers a fantastic performance. Her opening song was “Dil Cheez Kya Hai Aap Meri Jaan Lijiye” (Forget my heart, take my life instead”). This is one of those all-time classic songs and Neelanjana gave a mind-blowing performance and she was looking cool as always! This was swiftly followed by another romantic song “EK Pyar Ka Nagma Hai” (“It is a song of love”). It was a beautiful performance because it was packed with emotion and I could listen to her all day. Amazing! Neelanjana dedicated the next song for the love and affection she received from the audience of Birmingham. It was “Bahut Pyar Karte Hain Tumko Sanam” (“I love you so much, my love”).Wow, what an outstanding interpretation, I would have given her a standing ovation! If I could stand up.

Neelanjana’s inspiration has always been Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar therefore she performed a tribute in the form of a medley to Asha Ji. The songs included “Duniya Mein, Logo Ko” (“In the world, people”), “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” (“Lover, you just come now)” and the most popular song “Dum Maro Dum” (“Puff, take a puff!”). It was a world -class performance and she truly got the party started as the atmosphere went to another level, it was unbelievable. I must also commend the band and the backing vocals as they were absolutely superb in supporting Neelanjana. Ankush also dueted with Neelanjana and two of my favourite songs were “Jaane Ja Dhoondta Phir Raha” (“Oh lover, I am seeing you”) and “Suraj Hua Madham” (“The sun has stopped glowing”). It was a rocking and energizing performance and they both quite literally took my breath away!

Salman Ali and Nitin Kumar where the final two stars to wow and perform for the West Midlands audience. The excitement level of the audience skyrocketed and they were filming their entrance as they made their way on to the stage. During this moment they were dancing and jumping to the song “Aaja Tenu Akhiyan Udeek Diyan “(“My eyes are looking for you”) and they sounded amazing! together.

Nitin also performed a solo routine where he sang a medley of songs and his punchlines of jokes in between were hilarious! Mainly based on the fact that his English was not good and I must say his comic timings were brilliant! My favourite songs of Nitin’s performance were “Parda Ho Parda” (“There’s a veil”) and my dad wheeled me to the front of stage. Where everyone was dancing and singing along also trying to get his attention to shake hands with him. My perseverance finally paid off as during a very short pause in the song, Nitin Kumar shook my hand twice! I was overjoyed with happiness and unknown to me at the time the photographers captured the moment which I shall never forget!

We were returning to our seats and the CEO of Angel Events Ltd noticed me and shook both of our hands. I thought this was a great gesture as I have always believed that it is good to meet new people and create new contacts. I had contacted him previously about purchasing accessible tickets and writing a blog post for this event.

I also enjoyed the fantastic medley featuring the songs “Mere Sapno Ki Rani” (“The queen of my dreams”) and “Tere Deewane” (“I have become crazy, mad for you”). He sounded awesome and it was a jaw-dropping performance. The audience were also treated to chart topping Punjabi numbers which included “Morni Banke” (“Walking like a peacock”) and “High Rated Gabru” (“High rated young man”). The atmosphere was extraordinary and not forgetting to mention the Dhol (Drum) player and the band who supported Nitin so brilliantly.

Salman Ali was back on stage to perform for the amazing and very lively audience of Birmingham for one last time. He sang some of my favourite songs whilst playing the piano they included “Tum Hi Ho” (“You are the one”) and “Gulabi Aankhein” (Rosy eyes). I enjoyed the performance as Salman was absolutely amazing on the piano and the contemporary feel he added to the songs. Salman Ali also sang “Mere Rashke Qamar” (“O my envy of the Moon”) and his performance was magnificent and the band were also exceptional!

The excitement continued after the show as I was given the opportunity by Angel Events Ltd to meet and greet the stars. I could not believe my luck that I was just moments away from meeting my idol Neelanjana Ray and the rest of the equally talented stars. The big moment had arrived and it was my turn to meet and greet the stars and have a photograph taken with them.

I was wheeled into position by my dad and placed next to Neelanjana and I was absolutely thrilled to meet her in person. I spoke to her and begun by saying “I am your biggest fan and I have come especially to see you and I have watched all your episodes”. Neelanjana replied and said “Thank you very much”. All the remaining stars then shook my hand and then gathered around me. All of the stars were saying “Look into the Camera” including the photographers and it felt like I was a superstar just like them. One of the greatest moments of my life was then captured. I then said “Good luck to Neelanjana” and she replied “Thank you”.