Disillussioned by ‘fake Bollywood’, Amit Sana quit after Indian Idol: ‘Never earned money’

‘Mumbai scared me off’

When Sana emerged as the first runner-up of Indian Idol 1 in 2004, the fame he received was immense.

“I was receiving too much attention. People were not just crazy for me outside, but I could feel the change in my own family. I suddenly became very important. I became the Amit Sana. It felt very weird because I never saw myself like that,” he told Siddharth Kannan.

However, despite the sudden stardom, something about the experience did not sit well with Sana. He eventually withdrew from the spotlight.

“When you see so much stardom all of a sudden, it confuses you. I come from a small town. Mumbai was quite a cultural shock for me. I was into classical [music], but watching Sonu Nigam, Lucky Ali, I came to Mumbai but I wasn’t ready to face Bollywood,” he recalled.

‘Lost respect for big stars’

Sana said that the sudden attention he received from the film and music industry also made him uncomfortable. Fashion designers would approach him to wear their clothes, while actors would invite him to parties.

“My problem is I can’t say no. These experiences made me not respect them like I used to from far. Most of them were fake. Their compliments for me were more like buttering me. I couldn’t understand why after so many years of stardom, they need a backing of someone like me, who just became famous. I couldn’t connect with them. Woh nashe mein dhut rehte the (They would be drunk). They took me to random parties to show their power. It often felt like they were indirectly threatening me,” he said.

The darker side of the glamour industry left Sana shaken and eventually prompted him to distance himself from the glitz and attention.

The fame also brought film offers his way, although Sana said he was initially not interested in pursuing acting. “People live fake lives. While they would show off about owning sports cars, in reality they would take auto rickshaws,” he said.

These experiences were particularly overwhelming for a 22-year-old Sana.

‘I couldn’t say no’

“My weakness was I couldn’t say no and then I would feel forced. To save myself from people’s manipulation knowing my weakness, I started to go inside a shell, avoiding people,” he recalled.

Sana also claimed that his name was used to promote Mithun Chakraborty’s film Sun Zara. While he initially accepted stage shows and other work that came his way because of his Indian Idol popularity, his increasingly introverted nature eventually affected the few industry connections he had made.

During his Indian Idol days, Sana had developed relationships with judges Farah Khan and Anu Malik. However, those connections gradually faded.

“A couple of times I did make songs and tried to approach Farah Khan, but she would often be busy with work. After a while, it felt awkward when they didn’t have the time to listen to me. I stopped,” he said.

That decision was followed by a sense of guilt. Sana said he began viewing asking people for work as a selfish act.

‘My life would have been different if approached differently’

Now in his 40s, however, he admits that he sometimes regrets not being more proactive. “I do regret this but then I believe that everybody has their own path and maybe I am slowly reaching towards it,” he said.

His inability to navigate the industry also eventually led to financial difficulties.

“I did go through financial issues. Struggled to pay EMIs of my house. After my first album released, I wanted to produce my own album. I did my second album and invested a lot of money in that. But, unfortunately, it didn’t get promoted,” he recalled.

Joined another reality show for financial stability

Financial pressures eventually led Sana to participate in another singing reality show, Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar, in 2008. However, he considers that decision a mistake.

“I didn’t get appreciated. Farah Khan, who would heap praises on me at Indian Idol, didn’t like my performance at all in Jo Jeeta. They said, ‘Amit Sana singing bhul gaya’,” he said.

Sana also recalled speaking to Arijit Singh, who had watched his performance on television and, according to him, described it as unmatchable.

“I think the makers of the show didn’t like me for some reason and were trying to sabotage my image,” he alleged.

‘Desperately waited for cheque from Sony for survival’

Despite the fame he had gained through Indian Idol, Sana said he struggled to find consistent work in the years that followed.

“I could never earn money. I was always in a state of struggle. Things didn’t work out well for me. I didn’t get any shows. I was irritated,” he said.

The period between 2006 and 2008 was particularly challenging for the singer. He said he would desperately wait for payments from Sony.

“I was in a contract with them. They would send me a cheque every three months. I would manage life with that. I couldn’t understand how despite the fame, I didn’t land any job,” he recalled.

When Prajakta Shukre shared Amit was low-key bullied

Alongside his professional and financial struggles, Sana also faced difficulties in his personal life, with his marriage eventually ending in divorce.

According to Prajakta Shukre, a lot had happened behind the scenes during their Indian Idol days as well. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, the singer recalled that Rahul Vaidya’s jokes about Sana would often hurt him.

“Amit’s personality is such that he tends to retreat into his shell, so he would get hurt easily. This happened during the competition as well,” she said.

Sana did go on to lend his voice to a few songs composed by Anu Malik and projects associated with Sony Music and Times Music. However, he credits spirituality with helping him find stability after years of professional and personal turmoil.

Amit found peace in spirituality

According to Sana, the most positive development in his life during this period was being introduced to spirituality through the Art of Living Foundation.

“That’s where I finally found my ground, where I could establish a relationship between my inner self and the outside world and process everything coming to me in terms of people, places, career and health,” he said.

After two decades of experiences and lessons that he feels he lacked during his Indian Idol days, Sana is now set to return to the platform that first made him famous.

Life came full circle for Amit Sana

Amit Sana will return to the show with Indian Idol Legends Return, which is set to premiere on October 17.

Speaking about returning to the Indian Idol set after more than two decades, Sana told The Times of India, “It takes a lot of courage to do something like this again. I am definitely not the same person one saw on Indian Idol 1, but I still carry the same DNA inside me.”

Sana had previously alleged that the show and its makers had blocked his voting line, which he claimed contributed to Abhijeet Sawant winning the first season. His return to Indian Idol after all these years, therefore, is likely to carry an added layer of intrigue.