Over 800 elderly take the stage to show off musical flair in competition

“I follow the music where it goes. My friend was taking part at the auditions, and since they had spot auditions, I decided to enroll as well,” said Sriram. He has made it to the finals.

Nearly 800 people from across the city had taken part in the auditions, and 18 had qualified for the finals. Judging the finalists were Inspiring Ilango, director Raja Pallavi Raja, singers Jaya Dev, Satrangi Promod and Kamalaja.

For many, this was an opportunity to break out of the daily grind and daily routine and try something out of their comfort zone. “My son died on Valentine’s Day in 2007. To forget his loss, I decided to engage myself in different things, like getting a tattoo and buying the trendy fashion pieces, and now trying my luck at singing,” said 61-year-old Revathi Shivakumar, director of a local playschool.

Nerves weren’t an issue for many of these elderly citizens who participated in the event. For 50-year-old Vandana A, the stage was a familiar space to go back to. “I was a Bharathanatiyam dancer until my 30s, and I am a people’s person. I was not nervous on stage. In fact, I was excited! I used to take part in so many cultural events in school, and so took me down the memory lane,” she said.

For others, this was a chance to indulge in activities that they couldn’t take part in during their youth. “With many people making it big in TV, many want to show off their talents and be recognised. But, a lot of them are nervous or shy to try their hand at a big-time audition. This platform encourages people to try their hand at something they usually would not have,” said Latha Krishna, founder of IRIS Events.

“My body may be old, but my heart is still young. We need these things to keep our lives exciting and fun. I love music and singing, and so it makes me very happy to take part in such events,” said 69-year-old Lakshmidevi K, a homemaker.