Nightlife / Music

Brush with fame: Sanjaya doesn't mind being teased

By Kathy Stephenson | Wednesday, August 08, 2007 | () comments

(AMERICAN IDOL)

During the early rounds of this year’s “American Idol” competition, faithful viewers were not talking about who might get kicked off.

The real question each week was: “What will Sanjaya do with his hair?”

On one episode, 17-year-old Sanjaya Malakar arrived onstage with his brown curly locks tied into a frizzy Mohawk. On the next show, he greased his hair back like a gangster wannabe. Later, he swept his hair out of his face with a red cowboy bandanna.

“I kind of did it and then realized what a fool I looked like afterward,” Sanjaya admitted during a recent telephone interview from his home in Federal Way, Wash. But wearing those distinctive coiffures with confidence won over millions of fans.

“I just went out there and had fun with it and rocked with it, and that’s why people had such a good response to it,” said Sanjaya, who made it to the show’s top seven, further than most vocal critics would have predicted.

Sanjaya and the other top contestants from season six — including winner Jordin Sparks and runner-up Blake Lewis — perform Wednesday when the “American Idols Live” Tour arrives at the i wireless Center, formerly The Mark of the Quad-Cities, in Moline.

No special hairstyles are planned.

“I want it to be spontaneous,” said Sanjaya, who tried not to let the criticism of his singing — or his hair — affect his “Idol” performances.

“I’ve been criticized my entire life for my personality and obnoxiousness,” he said. “But I’ve never really cared. I’m not worried about other people.”

While he proved to be a savvy contestant, Sanjaya confessed he was a less-than-perfect high school student. During his freshman and sophomore years, “I wouldn’t do homework,” he said. When he finally attempted to get caught up, the task proved overwhelming.

While a contestant on the show, he took — and passed — the general equivalency diploma test.

Despite all the talk about his hair, Sanjaya has had no offers to pitch shampoo or hair gel. The only endorsement offer came during the season when the president of KFC offered him a lifetime supply of “famous bowls” if Sanjaya would wear a bowl hairdo during an “Idol” performance.

“I laughed because I’m mostly vegetarian,” he said.

On his “Idol” biography, he lists “culinary arts” as his other talent.

“I’m not an extreme culinary genius, but I can bake cookies and cakes,” he said, noting that, with an Italian-American mother and a father from India, cooking is a favorite family pastime.

Sanjaya’s biography names another family member — his maternal grandfather — as his hero.

“When my mom and dad were going through a divorce, he was a really strong figure in my life,” he said. He has no doubt his grandfather, who died several years ago, would be proud of all he has accomplished in the past year.

“I believe he watches out for me and makes sure I don’t do anything stupid,” Sanjaya said.

Hairstyles not included.

-- Salt Lake Tribune