Mika Singh’s team Punjab Lion won the reality show, Indian Pro Music League (IPML) recently. Talking about working during the Coronavirus pandemic, he says, “I was happy that we could resume work and sing again. Wapas kaam shuru hua, riyaaz karne aur musicians se interact karne ka mauka mila. While earlier the audience would watch us perform live, after we resumed the shoot, no one apart from the unit members could enter the set.”

He adds, “Main toh paida hi audience mein hua hoon. I have performed in over 25,000 shows in my career of 22 years. Jab audience saamne hoti hai mera toh ek mood banta hai gaana gaane ka. Toh aadat woh padi hui hai, aur mere gaane bhi phir saare naachnewale hain. However, given the restriction, I changed my strategy. I sang soft and melodious numbers. Our hard work bore fruit and we won on the show.”

While he enjoyed his stint on IPML, the singer says that he believes in taking a break from music reality shows to avoid overexposure. In his career, Mika has only judged only five shows.

He reasons, “I returned to judge a reality show after five years. I don’t want to be seen on TV regularly. We earn a lot of money through reality shows, but I also feel that your focus tends to shift from your first love — music. I feel that the audience gets bored of you eventually. If they are listening to you sing on a reality show, why will they wait for your song to be released? So, it’s imperative to take a break.”

Music reality shows have often been targeted for harping on contestants’ sob stories rather than focusing on their talent. Talking about it Mika says, “Look, people connect with such stories because all of us come across them in real life. The tears and emotions are genuine. It’s disappointing to see people who once judged reality shows talk badly about them today. They have also witnessed it during their seasons. Pichhle bees saal se chalta aa raha hai yeh rona dhona. It’s genuine and that’s why it is called reality. Problem ye hai ki jo log judge kar chuke hain aur dekha hai ye saara, aaj woh uske baare mein bol rahe hain. That’s wrong. Just because I am not approached to judge a reality show, I should not badmouth reality shows. Having said that, it’s the talent that takes you places.”