TWO youngsters from East Renfrewshire have won places in the final of a UK-wide talent competition for singers, dancers and musicians.

Drummer Krish Bhasin, 13, and 14-year-old dancer Kavya Vusikala, both from Newton Mearns, will take part in the glitzy grand finale of the Vijeta contest, to be held at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall this Saturday.

Vijeta, which means ‘victorious’ in Hindi, is the culmination of what is said to be the world’s first web-based talent hunt for south Asian communities in the UK.

Krish, a pupil at St Ninian’s High School, will show his skills in Western and Bollywood drumming.

He has never played Bollywood music before but insists he is up for the challenge.

Kavya, who attends Hutchesons’ Grammar School, in Glasgow, aims to wow judges with her passion for dancing, which encompasses ballet, tap, jazz, Bollywood and Bharatnatyam, which is a form of Indian classical dance.

Pragya Sinha, executive partner of Vijeta UK, said the unique talent search is the brainchild of Swetha Ala, a crown winner of Mrs Eurasia International, who lives in Glasgow.

“Auditions were conducted throughout UK from April onwards and categories include vocals, dance and instrumental music,” added Pragya, who is from Newton Mearns.

“We have been very impressed by all the talented people who have come forward to take part.

“Our initiative is greatly appreciated and, within a couple of months, we had more than 30,000 hits on our website.

“Participants are not limited to any age group and we have had entries from all over the UK, including Birmingham and London.”

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