‘Idol’ not idolized in his dad’s India

People in India seemed relieved to see Sanjaya Malakar, whose father hails from India, exit the “American Idol” stage after a long and unlikely run.

While Malakar’s goofy hairstyles and lackluster singing captivated millions of Americans, his quirky appeal never resonated among Indians. Though the end of his run Wednesday was front-page news, his exit was not mourned.

“Sanjaya Is Voted Off ‘American Idol’ -- He’s the Only One Weeping,” read a front-page headline in the Indian Express. The headline in the Times of India read, “Finally, Sanjaya Sings His Way Out of ‘Idol.’ ”

Malakar’s failure to break out in India may be because the show is seen a day late there, and on Star World TV, an English-language channel that attracts relatively few viewers in the country of 1.1 billion.