Sanjaya Malakar, the unflappable singer who horrified and captivated millions in his improbable “American Idol” run, was finally voted off the show Wednesday night. When the result was announced, Malakar wiped away tears and got a big hug from LaKisha Jones, the next lowest vote-getter. Malakar then performed one last song, Something To Talk About. Malakar, 17, whose dreamy smile, wacky hair styles and soft, mediocre voice made him “Something To Talk About” across the nation, said on Thursday his months with the popular TV singing contest were the “most amazing experience” of his young life.
Sanjaya became the most searched male celebrity on Yahoo!, beating fictional boy wizard Harry Potter, and has reportedly attracted millions of dollars in potential offers.
One pop culture expert said Malakar could be the next tween - pre-teen - idol, especially if he teams up with his stunning sister Shyamali, 20, who also auditioned for “American Idol” but failed to make it to the final 24.
“If I were an executive at Disney or Nickelodeon I would be rushing to sign them both up. He is a really cute kid and it is no surprise he has become a breakthrough star,” said Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television.
Malakar seemed taken aback by the buzz that inspired Internet spoof videos, T-shirts and even a backlash campaign aimed at sabotaging the credibility of the show.
“I’m still just Sanjaya from Seattle,” he told KIIS. “It’s kind of fun to look in a magazine and see your face, but after a while it’s kind of weird.”
Asked whether he was aware of a reported $15 million in offers, he said “Wow! Not that I know of.”
Malakar has been offered a guest appearance on the hit Disney tween TV show “Hannah Montana” and Kentucky Fried Chicken has offered him a lifetime supply of its chicken bowl dinner if he wears a bowl-style hairdo on national television.
Source: Reuters, Forbes
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you know what! he was great and m sing! i live in america and i know why he got kicked out but hay sanjaya dont bother coz wht you have done dude! it was really better then anyone! all indian community in usa and all over the world loves you and will pray for your bright future!!!!!!
this is freakling unblievable. Its was one of the best day for Indians; he was a disgrace; glad he is kicked out.
@pk,
disgrace for what? cmon dude! in america they make fun of president aswell. Best day for indians for what? Atleast i know him who are you BTW?
ya he was a great singer..starange coz i thought he ll win that competition…..well wd like to wish him good luck..
hey sanjaya !!!
u r really great ,at the age of seventeen ,u achieved alot.great!!!!!
u got the looks ,talent,and everything, complete package.
we all love u sanjaya…
I live in canada and running a store in downtown and I tell u that these white people cannot tolerate that any outsiders can go ahead of them. This is called racism.
sanjaya brother i watched that useless show to see and vote for you so that you can have a good career. now that they have fixed the voting and set u up when everybody is busy with virginia tech incident i really dnt think thr is a point in wasting my time watching that show.
sanjaya i will buy your record. your dad’s innocent indian village style smile made me vote for you. kid i will buy all ur records. so pls keep your spirits up. thr may be ppl among Indians too who join sanjaya bashing just to get along with foolish americans. but to survive among these racist ppl you really need guts after all these comments, U have that charm of a little kid next door, thats what matters to us sanjaya fans. And we have watched how racist, american TV is with a kid like you.they dnt tolerate an Indian coming into the main stream media, if u wud have been a white, or a full Italian it wud have nt mattered to these ppl. they just want us to serve them writing codes,treating their heart disease,.. sanjaya way to go kid..
ohhhh sanjaya you got kicked by all the people. IAM gald you got kicked bcoz u look like a stupid gay. why you need to act like a singer you are a bathroom single hahahahahah.
he was a good singer,
he is good singer and became pray for american media
it looks like racism, don`t worry,,, u need guts to come up.. good luck..
hey sanjaya…
first of all congratulations for all tht u hav acheived…very proud of u belonging to indian race…u r a “COMPLETE PACKAGE”…way ahead to go in life…keep it up dude
RACISM??? if racism he wouldnt be on the stage for this long and if you keep aside that he is an Indian, he is a horrible singer that gone this far since he got no control of stage (not a loud singer) and he suvived becuase of this media itself, someone here calling as Racism? Racism means you wouldnt be even seeing him on stage as top 24 itself.
He is a horrible singer. I never voted him. Some one called hre as Racism. I gree with other comments if there is some thing like that he would not have been in top 24. Tink possitve side instead of desy style thinking.
Anyway He is gone and now I can watch Idol happly.
Man Who is this ABCD abt whom we are discussing.
WE cannot be proud or support someone just bcoz he has poped up on american TV, or reality shows like american idol on which all xyz’s , street chaps with no talent come to create noise, some times worse than donkeys singing song.
Yes we should be proud of indian professor and professional contributing to science and humanity like
sunitha williams or indian scientist at NASA, researcher in various UNIVs.
I think this guy a ABCD might be least interseted in potraying himself as indian.
Man the only reason you guys are supporting him is because he is Indian; look at the others in his age group and you will see that there are a lot better singers than him and that he deserves to loose. If you cant see that, then it is you that is truly racist. You have to face that facts Sanjaya is not Idol material and what is this bull shit about him being the “COMPLETE PACKAGEâ€, he is better than an average guy that does not make him one of the best.