Last Updated:November 03, 2025, 20:28 IST

Raghu Ram recalls his viral Indian Idol audition with Anu Malik, reveals why he often appears angry on TV, and opens up about being misunderstood.

Raghu Ram opened up about his viral Indian Idol audition with Anu Malik, explaining why his on-screen anger became iconic.

Nearly two decades after Raghu Ram’s infamous Indian Idol audition went viral, the television personality has finally shared his side of the story. The clip — where he was rejected by judges Anu Malik, Farah Khan, and Sonu Nigam and got into a heated exchange — continues to resurface on social media, often cited as one of Indian television’s most unforgettable reality show moments.

In a recent appearance on the Two Girls & Two Cups podcast, Raghu reflected on the old video, his reputation for anger on TV, and how people often misunderstand both his personality and his beliefs.

On Being an Atheist and Misunderstood Labels

During the conversation, Raghu used his atheism to illustrate how easily labels get distorted, “I am an atheist. Atheism is about not believing — I don’t hate God, that’s called being an anti-theist,” he explained. “Similarly, feminazis are not feminists; they’re misandrists. But by calling themselves feminists, they end up spoiling the name of those who genuinely stand for equality.”

The Story Behind His Viral Indian Idol Audition

When asked about his on-screen anger and the viral Indian Idol clip, Raghu recalled that the moment was never meant to happen in the first place, “Imagine my anger if Anu Malik had actually accepted me,” he joked. “YouTube didn’t even exist back then, or was just starting out. That clip went viral on TV itself, and people still talk about it. I didn’t even want to audition. My girlfriend at the time insisted that I should — so I did.”

He added with a laugh, “I didn’t know what to sing, so I picked the same song the person before me sang. I’ve stopped singing and yelling now, but back then, I felt like nothing would happen if I didn’t raise my voice. That attitude went viral — so when people ask me why, I just say, because people liked it.”

On His Iconic Roadies Moments and Early Activism

The hosts also revisited one of Raghu’s MTV Roadies auditions, where he hilariously mixed up mythological references while quizzing a contestant. “Ayodhya was from Mahabharat, where Krishna ji was born,” he had confidently said at the time — a clip that continues to amuse fans online.

Later in the podcast, Raghu shared an anecdote from his early days working on a government-backed HIV/AIDS awareness campaign called Haath Se Haath Mila, “We were sent to villages in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana to spread awareness without offending anyone,” he recalled. “We couldn’t even say the word ‘condom’. The government told us to use ‘saiyam’ instead, meaning abstinence. The official message was ‘Saiyam rakho, AIDS ho jaata hai’ — which completely missed the point!”

Through humour and honesty, Raghu Ram’s podcast appearance reminded fans that behind the viral rage and reality show persona lies someone deeply self-aware — and not afraid to laugh at his own past.

Yatamanyu Narain

Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun…Read More

Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More