Indian Idol contestant bridges North-East divide

IDOL WORSHIP: Amit Paul the finalist has got a huge fan following across North-East.

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Guwahati: The excitement is building to find out who is going to be the next Indian Idol. It’s just a few days to go for Amit Paul, the contest finalist, to know his fate. However the amateur singer is already a star and a hero figure for the North-East.

Singing along Karaoke style as the nation sings and swings with him - Amit Paul knows he is the king. Not only has he got a huge fan following rooting for his selection as the next Indian Idol, but in the Khashi warrior outfit unknowingly he is doing the impossible—bridging the divide between the Khashi, Jaintia and Garo tribes of Meghalaya with that of the non-tribals.

No wonder, the entire Meghalaya wants northeast's new pin up boy to be their brand ambassador.

“Surely he will win. All the Khasis and Bengalis are supporting him,” said one fan. "Amit Paul is the best. He is a boon, not only for Shillong but for the rest of the country and the music industry,” said another.

“We are very happy,” said Dipak Paul, Amit’s father.

Amit's journey began with a local band called Yuva in Shillong in 1992. And in 15-years the boy from the hills has certainly moved mountains with his voice, making it to Indian Idol's final round.

“I am lost, I can't say anything,” he said.

As Amit Paul's fame takes levels of folklore in a music crazy North East, some believe ‘Elvis’ after he left his home somewhere in Memphis is now back in Shillong.

Amit Paul has towered over other Indian Idol participants this year. While thousands of his fans in the North East would love to see him win, one thing’s for sure, even if he does not win, he’s already a real hero.