He has been rocking the stage for decades, entertaining audiences across generations. As he gears up for his performance at the Bacardí NH7 Weekender tomorrow in Pune, Punjabi pop icon Daler Mehndi says he’s seen the audience evolve.

“Now, they have mobile phones, so things are very interactive. As an artiste, it feels nice to see video clips from a gig that they share on social media alongside all the amazing messages. Other than stage light, the view from the stage is amazing when they wave with their phone flashlights on. It feels gratifying. Everything has become very up close and personal. My audience has grown from one generation to another,” says the singer, as he goes on to talk about the importance of good light and sound at gigs.

“When you have passionate light and sound engineers who love what they do and respect music, nothing can stop an artiste from creating magic on stage. Technology makes even a bad performer look wow. Imagine the wonders it could do to someone who is good at their music,” says the 56-year-old.

Though he loves going behind the mic, Mehndi says the high he gets by performing live is unparalleled. “What’s interesting is that almost all my performances are extempore, where even my group doesn’t know what I will sing next. Some of my iconic songs such as Sajan Mere Satrangiya, Kudiyan Shehar Diyan and Namoh Namoh took shape on stage,” says Mehndi.

Talking about a ritual that he follows before taking the stage, the singer, who will be performing his hits Bolo Ta Ra Ra, Ho Jayegi Balle Balle and Dardi Rab Rab at the show tomorrow, says he does the “ardas”: “Before I hold the mic, I ask the divine to allow me to sing in a way that everyone enjoys my show.”