This 18-Year-Old’s First Taste of TV Stardom Changed Her Life

By Soumya Sofat, 18, Delhi

Even though I belong to a family of doctors and academicians, my interests always lay in the creative side of things. I was born in Lucknow. My father being a cardiologist in the army at the time, my childhood years were spent travelling around the realms of India. Ten years ago, we finally moved to Delhi.

Music has been the most significant part of my school life. I participated in numerous competitions and performed at various venues. I have also done Grade 8 in Vocals, Trinity College of London.

I realized at a very young age that I want music to be more than just a hobby and I have always been encouraged by my parents and my elder sister, who has also been a major influence for me in terms of music and in life.

I turned 18 this year so I was finally eligible to audition for the third season of the Western music reality show The Stage on Colors Infinity. Being a Western music singer in India, this was an opportunity that I just couldn’t miss.

There were thousands of aspirants from all over India who showed up for the city auditions for the show. I was thrilled to make it to the top 50 and went on to Mumbai to perform in front of the judges, Vishal Dhadhlani, Esaan Noorani, Monica Dogra and Devraj Sanyal.

And then I made it to the Top 25 of the show. It was a great experience to be surrounded by so many incredible singers and musicians and to interact and be guided by the judges.

It was also wonderful to receive so much appreciation by the audience for my performances that aired on TV. The show helped me gain insight into the music industry and the Western music scene in India.

I now have a clear vision of where my future lies. I plan to focus on doing a lot of gigs. Being mostly self-taught in pop music so far, I’m now going to learn Western classical music. I’m also working on launching my YouTube channel.

I’ve realized that if we have a dream and a strong passion for something, we shouldn’t be afraid to go after it. The possibilities are endless.