Grand finale of BT Fresh Face

BT presents the winners of Clean & Clear Bangalore Times Fresh Face 2010
Saturday evening sure was an evening to remember. The crowd cheered, the atmosphere buzzed with energy, and the 15 finalists of Clean & Clear Bangalore Times Fresh Face 2010 were the cynosure of all eyes as they put their best foot forward for the grand finale of the competition.The best talents from across 21 colleges in the city performed on one platform to impress the judges and win the hearts of the audience. The finalists were selected through a rigorous process of interviews, talent rounds and online voting on itimes.com.
On D-day, the contestants walked the ramp and introduced themselves to the judges — Sandalwood stars Ramya and Upendra and designer Deepika Govind. The opening act was choreographed by Prasad Bidapa. The girls looked stunning in evening wear designed by Deepika, and the boys wore red-and-black silk shirts. The make-up and hair styling were done by Oomph Salon and Academy. After the participants strutted their stuff, they awed the judges with their confidence and charisma in the talent round.
Five girls and boys were shortlisted for the Q&A round where the judges grilled them on their general knowledge. After a rocking performance by singer Shilpa Rao, the winners were declared. Among the girls, it was Nesha Barahmand from Oxford College of Science and Management (winner), Noyonita Lodh from SBM Jain College, JC Road (first runner-up), and Dhara Thakkar from PESIT (second runner-up). In the boys’ category, it was Prateek Sultania from MSRIT (winner), Sanat Singh Rathore from Dayanand Sagar Institutions (first runner-up) and Akshay Surana from PESIT (second runner-up).
Nesha, an aspiring model, says, “Winning this competition meant a lot to me career-wise. I want to pursue modelling and this is one of the best platforms to get noticed. At the venue, people I didn’t know said they voted for me. The competition was tough and I’m proud I was chosen as the best.”
Prateek Sultania is also on cloud nine after winning the title. “I went crazy when they announced my name. It was amazing and I can’t express my feelings in words. The whole contest was a very good experience as I got to perform before great stars and got to know people with varied talents. Dancing with Ramya was a dream come true. I got several calls and some people also came up to me for autographs. I felt like a celebrity,” says an excited Prateek.
The grand finale:
It was a day to celebrate the coming together of the best talents from across 21 colleges in Bangalore. A day when the hottest girls and the coolest dudes, among the 15 finalists of Clean & Clear Bangalore Times Fresh Face 2010, were crowned. The nervousness of the finalists, before they took the stage, was palpable. But the moment they came into the spotlight, all one could see was the confidence of true stars. They sang, danced and talked their way into the hearts of the audience as well as the judges. RJ Lavanya from Radio Mirchi, our radio partner, cheered on the contestants. The crowd applauded the budding talents and the judges, including Bangalore Times editor, Edison Thomas, Ramya, Upendra and Deepika Govind, had a hard time deciding the winners.
The show-stoppers:
This was the final and the participants were all set to wow the crowd in the talent round. Among the girls, the dancing stars were Noyonita, Duhita, Akshata, Nesha, Amrutha and Dhara. Noyonita bellydanced to a popular Bollywood number, while Dhara got the temperature rising when she danced to the Pussycat Dolls’ Buttons. Nesha combined belly dance with freestyle and Duhita did a fusion tribal dance. Amrutha performed a number to a medley of songs. Monisha and Rakshita sang popular songs amidst cheers. Not to be left behind, the guys also proved just how cool and fresh they were. Sanat, Akshay and Ullas did a combination dance of freestyle and b-boying. Sriram rocked the show with his drumming talent, Rishabh strummed his way into our hearts and Anurag sang a self-composed song.
Jaw-dropping acts:
While everyone gave their best, it was Prateek Sultania who stole the show when he dropped his pants in the middle of his dance routine. The crowd roared with laughter as Prateek danced away, without a care in the world. But that was not all. He also asked Ramya to come on stage and salsa with him (with his pants on, of course). Ramya, being a good sport, showed off some of her dance moves. Sriram also entertained the crowd when he played the congo in tune with Shilpa Rao during her performance.
Hum kisise kum nahin:
The contestants proved that they have got it all — the looks and the brains. In the Q&A round, the judges tested their general knowledge and quick wit and the finalists did not disappoint. There was also a Bollywood round where the girls were asked to mouth popular dialogues displaying different emotions. The girls had fun and so did the judges.
The final moments:
The winners were crowned among much fanfare. The onlookers also cheered and applauded them. After the show was over, the remaining finalists congratulated the winners and wished them all the best.