‘Imagine My Anger If Anu Malik Accepted Me’: Raghu Ram Breaks Silence On Viral Indian Idol Audition
Raghu Ram, famed for his role as a judge on MTV Roadies, has recently opened up about his infamous audition for the first season of Indian Idol in 2003, revealing that it was orchestrated by the show's producers. The audition, which has circulated online for years, shows a younger Raghu facing the judging panel of Anu Malik, Farah Khan, and Sonu Nigam.
In the audition video, Raghu is seen stretching before his performance, a move that Farah Khan quickly pointed out was taking up valuable time. Raghu defended his actions, explaining that he needed to stretch before singing, much like some people do "alaap". He then proceeded to sing "Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo," but his performance failed to impress the judges.
Sonu Nigam commented, "Bohot kharab gaaya aapne. Yeh kya best hai aapka, jo gaana chuna hai? (You sang very badly. Is this the best you can do, with the song you chose?)". Raghu responded that he thought the judges would appreciate his song choice. Farah Khan then quipped that the stretching and yoga were the best part of his singing. Anu Malik added, "Achcha, lekin aapne jo stretching ki, uske bavajood bhi aapki stretching aapke sur tak nahi pohochi (Well, even with all the stretching, your stretching didn't reach your সুর)".
When Raghu asked Anu Malik if he didn't like his song, Anu replied, "Mere kehne ka matlab yeh hai ki aap gaa nahi sakte, mere hisaab se Mumbai nahi aa sakte (What I mean is that you cannot sing, and according to me, you cannot come to Mumbai)". Raghu retorted, "Toh aap ye baat tameez se bhi bol sakte hain (You could have said this politely as well)".
In a recent interview, Raghu revealed that he wasn't genuinely trying out for Indian Idol. According to him, his then-girlfriend was working on the show, and the crew members suggested he go and "pick a fight" with the judges, knowing his reputation as a "hot-headed Delhi boy". Raghu admitted he wasn't initially keen on the idea but eventually agreed. He didn't even prepare a song and sang what the person before him had been singing.
Raghu stated that he "went in to pick a fight" and was essentially a "plant" on the show, though the judges were unaware of this. He added that when Anu Malik started giving him feedback, he questioned whether it could have been delivered with more tact.
The video of the audition gained traction and resurfaced multiple times over the years. Despite the passage of time and the initial embarrassment, Raghu has taken the incident in stride. He humorously stated that had Anu Malik selected him, he would have been far angrier. He later said in his memoir, Rearview: My Roadies Journey, that his Indian Idol audition was a prank.
