The journey of Vizag girl Soujanya Bhagavatula to Indian Idol Telugu Season 2

After hitting it out of the park with the blockbuster talk show, Unstoppable with NBK Season 2, Aha, the Telugu-Tamil OTT platform, is back in the buzz with Indian Telugu Season 2. Featuring the most-talked-about music director in recent times, SS Thaman, and seasoned singers Karthik and Geetha Madhuri on the judging panel, the reality singing show is here to treat audiences with 12 talented voices. One participant who has left the viewers and judges of Indian Idol Telugu Season 2 in awe alike at every turn is the Vizag-based singer Soujanya Bhagavatula.

Interacting with Yol Vizag, the Indian Idol Telugu Season 2 singer Soujanya Bhagavatula shared her experiences on the big stage and her rollercoaster of a journey pursuing her passion for the art. “As contestants, we have been receiving Invaluable guidance and support from the mentors and judges right from the rehearsal stages,” she narrated. Soujanya, a devoted admirer of Shreya Ghoshal, expresses her eternal gratitude to Indian Idol for her first interaction with her role model, a moment permanently etched in the fan girl’s memory.

Talking about her first steps in singing, she took us 23 years back in time and elaborated how Telugu poems written and taught by her grandfather, a renowned theatre artist in Vizag, have sown the seeds of music in her life. Hailing from a family of musicians, Soujanya and her younger sister, Sireesha, were introduced to singing at a very young age and were soon put under the tutelage of eminent teachers for formal training in Carnatic music.

“I forayed into the singing shows and stage performances in 2004 and first participated in a competition hosted by the late SP Balasubrahmanyam,” said Soujanya, recalling her first exposure to the competitive field. Though her initial stages were devoted to Carnatic and classical music, her growing up in Vizag saw her stepping further into semi-classical and film songs. Sounjanya also fondly reminisces the days when their mother made them sleep to the songs sung by legendary SPB, S Janaki, and Lata Mangeshkar.

Unlike her sister, who participated in several reality shows and competitions, Sounjanya’s education and career soon took the front seat. “I started working as a Java developer for an IT firm, which brought my singing career to a halt despite having sung as a chorus in the film industry,” she said. Soujanya also sang for Vijay Devarakonda’s blockbuster, Arjun Reddy. “When I was called for a voice test, I did not know that I would be singing for such a prestigious project,” said the 30-year-old, recounting the story behind rendering her voice for a song named Gundelonaa in the Sandeep Reddy Vanga directorial.

But married life and profession took over, with a life-long ambition to become a professional singer and an undying love for music lingering in her heart. “The COVID-19 lockdown gave me time to rethink my career path, which made me take up professional singing once again,” said Sounjanya. Realising that making a career out of singing is her ultimate goal, she entered the reality show on Aha with immense support from her family. She highly credits her younger sister for imparting all the learnings from her experiences in reality shows.

The Vizag singer Soujanya Bhagavathula began her Indian Idol Telugu Season 2 journey on a melodious note, impressing the judges with a heart-winning performance of the song Antha Ishtam from Bheemla Nayak. She sang Ekkimeeda from Gautami Putra Shatakarni, Nuvvante Naa Navvu from Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha, and Pedave Palikina from Naani in the episodes she featured in so far. Music director SS Thaman pleasantly surprised her on the stage with a video byte from her idol, Shreya Ghoshal, in which she showered Soujanya with praise.

To vote for Soujanya, download the Aha app on your mobile and open the Indian Idol Telugu Season 2 tab. Voting lines will be open between 7 pm on the day of the episode telecast and 7 am the next morning. Team Yo! Vizag wishes Soujanya Bhagavatula the best for her journey on the Indian Idol Telugu Season 2 stage.

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