Asma Mohammed Rafi - Page 3

She might have been eliminated from the show weeks ago but this voluble bundle has upstaged even the show's finalists in popularity. Asma Mohammad Rafi, with the babe-in-the-woods looks and no-holds-barred tongue, has been the find of Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009.

The girl was in town last Tuesday to perform at City Centre for a countdown to the finals of the talent hunt (yes, the programme made famous by Mamata Banerjee's singing debut) but was kept out of the media glare to keep the focus on Soumen Nandi, the boy from Sodepur, who is in the finals. t2 chanced upon her in the hotel corridor.

Asma's calling card to instant viewer recall is a fictitious film she has named Mere Oont Ko Danda Kyun Mara. She has been scouting for crew and cast in each episode that she appears. "The film was born during a conversation with Sara Raza Khan (a contestant from Pakistan). There are lots of camels in my country (Muscat, Oman). I started telling people about this film I wanted to make. The channel liked the idea, so I spoke on the show about it."

Asma has not stopped speaking and looking about since. So far, she has conjured up Satish Kaushik as the director and Aamir Khan as his assistant. Katrina Kaif would be a "side actress" while Abhishek Bachchan will play the "bada bhai". Salman Khan will be the hero. Who becomes the heroine then? "Why? I, of course!" Asma retorts. "Salman mujhe bahut achchha lagta hai." That was obvious when on seeing the macho star, she had blurted out on TV: "Aila, kya body hai!" causing Salman to grin.

While her often-unthinking frankness has won her many fans, it has also antagonised many. "Kuch log bola ki mere ko gaana nahin aata, mujhe baat karne ki tameez nahin hain. Tab itna dukh hota tha ki I was thinking of quitting the show," says the teenager. One tends to forget that Asma is just 18 and not yet out of school. She is candid in admitting that she cannot sing. "I sing only Arabic songs. Otherwise, I have heard my father sing Mohd Rafi's songs at home. If I have learnt 10 per cent singing it is after coming to the show."

Even with her limited abilities, Asma had won the Dubai leg of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and got a direct entry to the international contest. "I got a call from India. Phir mummy papa ke beech bahut woh (quarrel) ho gaya tha. This is the first time I am staying away from them both."

It was popular support that ensured Asma came to Mumbai and stayed on. "I got the maximum votes among the winners of various regional contests." Her high point, she says, was the Salman episode.

Except for Mohd Rafi songs, her exposure to Bollywood was limited. "I knew Sunny, Amitabh Bachchan, Zayed and Salman." She watched Sholay two days before Dharmendra was to come to the sets. He is still "Sunny ka papa" to her but Garam Dharam has left a definite mark. "Mere ko ab uska poora family pasand hai. Uska chhota ladka, Bobby….bohut pappi deta hai woh…" she rattles off, Asmastyle.

And her money for next Saturday's finals wil be on? Yashita!