The experience of appearing on ‘India’s Got Latent’, the response from Goans and the interest in her music have given rapper Sharlaine Menezes plenty to take away from the show
RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT BUZZ
Sometimes, you try something just to see how it goes. Margao-based rapper Sharlaine Menezes applied to ‘India’s Got Latent’ mainly for fun, never expecting to make it onto the show.
Hosted by comedian Samay Raina, ‘India’s Got Latent’ has contestants performing before a panel of judges, with humour, candid conversations and roasting also part of the show. Menezes recently appeared as a contestant in Season 2, Episode 8, where the panel included MC Stan, Tanmay Bhat, Madhur Virli and Arpit Bala. The selection process involved a participation form followed by an interview, during which the team assessed not only candidates’ talent but also their ability to engage in conversations and respond to humour and sarcasm.
“I wanted to take it as a challenge,” says Menezes, who performed parts of ‘I Don’t Care’, her collaborative track with FormalZone, who accompanied her on the show. The song addresses criticism and stereotypes about women. “It defines who I am as a femcee (a female rapper) and how real the hustle is for me,” she adds.
Menezes was awestruck when she met Raina and the panel in person, having previously watched the show on screen. She forgot much of what she had rehearsed and decided to go with the flow. While waiting to go on stage, she worried about the questions she might face and how she would react to being roasted. “Right before stepping on stage, I was pumped up because I love performing.”
The conversation on stage was much longer than what made it to the final cut. Menezes rated her performance 9.5 out of 10, while the judges gave her 8.5. She says, “I was more interested in the experience than in winning.”
After her performance, Menezes had a brief interaction with Raina off stage. She recalls, “I was nervous and thought I had messed up but he passed by and told me, ‘You killed it’. That is what I remember most from our interaction.”
She describes Raina as humble and down to earth, adding that he apologised in case any of his jokes had made her uncomfortable.
The day also gave Menezes a chance to meet contestants from different states. Backstage, they introduced themselves, spoke about their acts, exchanged Instagram handles and took photographs. She says, “By the end of the day, we had all become good friends. Everybody was so supportive.”
After the episode aired, Menezes was surprised by the response, receiving messages and reels from strangers, fellow Goan rappers and women who connected with her music and what she had said on stage. “I didn’t expect it. People were so happy to see a Goan femcee up there,” she says. Within a day of the episode’s release, established artists had also reached out to her, while brands expressed interest in working with her.
The episode also drew negative comments but Menezes chose to focus on what mattered most to her. “I know what I stand for. I went there to have fun and do what I wanted to do,” she says, adding that the experience reminded her to stay true to herself, take criticism in her stride and continue growing as
an artiste.
Menezes has since left her corporate job to pursue music full-time, with several tracks lined up, some inspired by her appearance on the show. She also hinted at a major upcoming venture in Goa and plans to perform more live shows.
“The whole idea is to represent my state and my people. In whatever way I can, I’m happy to do it,” she says, adding that she hopes to give back to Goa as her journey in music progresses.
