What kind of shit -- apologies, horseshit -- audience is listening to, and voting for Indian Idol anyway? How in the world could they possibly lose Deepali, a blessed voice tailor-made for Bollywood's best melodies. It's absurd, it's total nonsense, and as Javed Akhtar put it as only he could - she get's punished for singing well. Absofreakingbullshit, the length of that profane term doing little to suggest my annoyance at having Deepali out of the show.

Girl, we'll miss you, we sure as hell will. May you sing and RJ your way into the ears and minds of the nation, this - from a fan like many others who could see your helplessness through your smile yesterday. You were brave to put up the face and rendition you did, and heck, we know that.

If this is the Janta's choice, then I'd rather not have it. Perhaps the wordsmith, the skylark sweetheart that gave us Made in India, the immortal vocals that rendered Pehla Nasha and the thief who hasn't even spared the Israeli National anthem - should play their roles as judges. Let them bring their skill and judgement into play and pick the best Idol, and seriously, if this is the kind of voting that's going to happen, democracy be damned to a bloody death that the people brought upon it.