Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; July 14, 2020)

In the last three months, through the lockdown, most Bollywood singers, composers and technicians have adapted to working from home with their own basic studio set-up. However, with the current unlock phase, several singers and actors have been stepping out for recordings and dubbing sessions, albeit with extra precautions. Though the source of the virus remains unknown, recent reports that Abhishek Bachchan had been dubbing for his OTT show before testing positive for Coronavirus, has further raised safety concerns. While all operational recording and dubbing studios are taking necessary steps to ensure safety as per the government guidelines, how safe do artistes feel about using the studio premises, given the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the city? BT talks to singers, actors and recording studio owners about the risks involved and the measures they are taking...

“THIS WAS MY FIRST OUTDOOR ACTIVITY POST LOCKDOWN, AND I DID NOT FEEL SAFE”
Actress Hina Khan’s first outdoor work activity post lockdown entailed dubbing. Excerpts from her social media post read, “This was my first outdoor work activity post lockdown...Trust me, I just did not feel safe. This is just a glimpse of an actor’s life...I sanitised everything around before I began...tried dubbing with the mask on, but that’s not how it works.” She continued, “I tried to maintain a distance from the mic and dub, but guess what, it didn’t work. I was told my voice is not clear. I realised that it’s so so unsafe to inhale and exhale so close to the microphone. God knows how many of them have dubbed in the same studio before me... The studio is taking full precautions... but one careless move can be fatal unfortunately.”

‘THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL AND I FEEL THAT IT IS SAFE’
Actress Maninee De, who has dubbed for a few OTT shows over the past month, said, “I go to a studio in Santacruz. I wear gloves, mask, protective shield, socks and full-sleeved clothes. I also carry water, sanitiser gel, spray, tissue paper, and a set of headphones from home. Everything is organised at the studio and they are all careful. They smoke out the entire room and everything is sanitised. This is the new normal and I feel that it is safe. But, after hearing about the Bachchans being infected, my daughter has told me that I should not be stepping out for any more dubbing.”

‘JUST THE SINGER, COMPOSER AND SOUND ENGINEER ARE ALLOWED IN THE STUDIO’
Singer Antara Mitra, known for songs like Dil Hi Toh Hai (The Sky Is Pink) and Gerua (Dilwale), said, “There were singers who had been going out for recordings, but somehow, I could not muster up enough courage to step out. But then, on my birthday a few days ago, I got an opportunity to record and I decided to take it up. I must say that I was relieved to see the kind of precautions they had taken.”

She added, “The studios in Mumbai have been using vapour constantly. The doors, handles, knobs are being wiped with sanitisers. Not just that, limited people are allowed in the studio — just the singer, composer and the sound engineer, and they are keeping only a single recording in a day.”

‘WE TAKE BOOKINGS ONLY FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES, LIKE COVID-19-BASED CAMPAIGNS’
Singer Aaman Trikha, who is known for songs like Prem Leela (Prem Ratan Dhan Payo) and Butterfly (Jab Harry Met Sejal), said, “After the first unlock phase began, there was an important recording for which I had to go to LM Studio (Lata Mangeshkar’s studio), where they are following every guideline. After every recording, they sanitise mics, headphones and other equipment along with the whole dubbing room and mixing room. They check the temperature of everyone coming in, and maintain strict social distancing. The only time the artistes remove their masks is when they are in front of the mic. There is no one else in the recording room.”

Noel Gonsalves, owner of Sound Chapel Studios (Andheri), said, “We take bookings only for emergency purposes, like recording for COVID-19-based campaigns or songs. Only two people are allowed during the recording — the artiste, who is in the acoustic room, and another person in the monitor room. After every recording, a thorough sanitisation is conducted.”

— With inputs from Onkar Kulkarni
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SAFETY MEASURES USED BY RECORDING STUDIOS

- Frequent sanitisation of mics, headphones, other equipment and dubbing room

- Minimum number of people within the premises (including singers and technicians)

- Single recording session in a day

Nikita Deb (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 2, 2020)

“I had posted about importance of mental health on my Instagram account the day before Sushant [Singh Rajput] passed away,” says singer Antara Mitra, pointing out the uncanny coincidence. After the death of Rajput, conversations about mental health have gained immense importance in the society, but Mitra says that it is not enough. “After his death, everyone posted on their account: ‘I am just a call away’, etc., but in reality, nobody is actually just a call away. Not even your mother or your partner. They could be busy at the exact moment when you need to speak to them, and that’s why I started the campaign, #getyourselfatherapist. More often than not, normal people are not equipped to deal with a lot of mental health issues and therefore, it is very important to speak to a therapist about anything that you are feeling,” says Mitra.

The singer, who has sung songs such as Gerua (Diwale; 2015) and Aira Gaira (Kalank; 2019), says that debates about nepotism and favouritism can wait, but it is high time that we start talking about mental health. “We have all the time in the world to talk about groupism and the unfair practices of the entertainment industry. But right now, we have to get rid of the taboo attached with mental health and seeing a therapist, etc. People still find it uncomfortable to say that they are seeing someone or seeking help. And that is something that needs to be fixed. The government needs to ensure that every government hospital has a dedicated mental health ward where anybody can walk in without any apprehensions and talk about any discomfort they are feeling,” says the singer, adding that she got immense support from her music music fraternity for this campaign.

Mitra admits that therapy is extremely expensive in India, and not everyone can afford it. But she says that even those who can afford it, sometimes live in denial about whether they need it or not. “They also don’t go to see a therapist because they feel people will call them ‘mad’ etc. But yes, we need affordable therapists in our country and the government should help set up some reasonably priced mental health wards where everyone can go because depression is not a class specific or a gender specific or a caste specific problem. It can happen to anybody starting from a farmer, to an owner of a multi-million dollar company. And everyone deserves to seek and get help,” she signs off.

Contestants who made it big tell us why it really doesn’t matter if you win or not, it’s the journey that follows that does
Bryan Durham (DNA; January 15, 2017)

At this point in time more than any other, there are singing reality shows galore on TV. So what if you don’t win a reality show! Is that the end of the world for your dreams or your career? Most likely not. Perseverance is the name of the game and those that stuck to their guns made it for the long haul. It’s a well-documented fact that the winners of reality shows have rarely gone on to have wildly (or mildly) successful careers in Bollywood or the independent music scene.

But for the rare exceptions of, let’s say, a Sunidhi Chauhan (Meri Awaz Suno) and a Shreya Ghoshal (Sa Re Ga Ma), most other reality show winners (Abhijeet Sawant of Indian Idol 1, Sreerama Chandra Mynampati of Indian Idol 5, Rituraj Mohanty of India’s Raw Star, for example) seem to have started out well, but are not as well known.

Arijit’s example
It isn’t for lack of trying. Those that struggle incessantly know success to be a fickle friend and it is years of not losing heart, some struggle, hard work and dedication. It’s even harder for those who don’t win. Just ask Arijit Singh. In 2005, he participated in and didn’t even make it to the finals of Fame Gurukul. Today, he is one of Bollywood’s A-List singers. It would take winning another reality show called 10 Ke 10 Le Gaye Dil, a few years assisting and singing for the top composers of Bollywood and consistently shining in films to finally reaching an Aashiqui 2 that took him to the very pinnacle of his profession. Today, everybody knows his name.

‘Reality’ check
Jubin Nautiyal would have a shorter struggle. The Kaabil singer’s career trajectory begins from a show called The X Factor in 2011, where he was eliminated after the Top 25 list was cut short. By 2014, he debuted with Sonali Cable’s Ek Mulaqat. Work with Jeet Gannguli and Mithoon followed, but most of these were one-off hits. It would take Ok Jaanu’s The Humma Song, the Kaabil title track and Bhawara Mann from Jolly LLB in quick succession to see him at the top of his game. When asked about the positives and negatives of being on a reality show, he says, “A reality show is definitely a reality check for an artist, it’s a place where they get to see the real world and competition.” His advice to contestants everywhere? “A reality show should be taken as a platform or a stage where millions will watch you. However, what they are watching and enjoying is your hard work and your journey. So, when the lights are out, what you take back with you is a smile and your talent.”

‘Going through the grind’
Remember Gerua girl Antara Mitra? Well, it’s surprising you didn’t recall her from 2006’s Indian Idol Season 2. She definitely was a popular contestant and a finalist, but she didn’t win. Anu Malik famously offered her a Bollywood break. She was non-committal. It would take another show (called Junoon, which she didn’t win either) before debuting with a track called Loving You alongside Sonu Nigam for a film called Speed as early as 2007. Pritam composed that track and would go on to work with her on several soundtracks, eventually giving her the popular Saree Ke Fall Sa (2013’s R...Rajkumar) and three of her biggest hits Gerua, Manma Emotion Jage and Janam Janam (Dilwale) by 2015 and Jaaneman Aah (Dishoom) last year.

When approached, Mitra admits that a reality show gives one a basic platform, but says that once you leave the show, the struggle begins with a larger group of people. “Trying to tap music directors (to hear you) and getting to even sing a scratch is a fight in its own way! But thankfully, these days music directors are seeking out new voices. What music reality shows do, she says, is increase your chances of getting noticed.You have to go through this grind!”

‘All positives...’
Indian Idol 1’s Rahul Vaidya, who currently has a successful live show career and occasionally releases singles, gives us a more tempered opinion on the matter. He says, “I believe there are no negatives and only positives of appearing on a music reality show. In a place like Mumbai, owning a house or a car or one’s livelihood through live shows would have otherwise been very difficult for small-town guys like me, who come to Mumbai to find a job. Finally, it’s luck and timing above all that puts you with the right people at the right time. Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

‘Always the internet’
And taking that point forward is one of our favourite rappers, Hard Kaur. She does tell us about the rather promising Satinder, who she discovered through YouTube (he appeared on Chhote Ustaad). “I manage Satinder now”, she says, adding, “Although, he was very young (only 11 then), I thought he might get big offers. Nothing actually came of the show for him and he went back to his normal life and was demotivated. He gave up on singing. I searched for him for four years before getting his number and calling him. Now we’ve recorded tracks and may release his first single this year. I guess if it wasn’t for the show, I wouldn’t have discovered him and he’d have given up singing... Then again, there’s always the internet, huh?”

‘Have that spark’
She has a point. One can’t really lose hope. It’s something Indian Idol 3 finalist Meiyang Chang knows first-hand. He tells us, “I can tell you with conviction that it’s about the journey and not the destination. Put your everything into reaching for the stars. If you don’t make it, don’t lose heart. Remember, you were chosen over thousands of hopefuls, so there must be a spark in you. With so many reality shows with regular seasons, there are always more opportunities.”

‘Take failure in your stride’
Nakash Aziz, a popular playback singer today (and an Indian Idol 2 contestant) says, “When I was voted out, I took that failure in my stride and kept working hard to make my mark in Bollywood.”

‘Just work harder’
Nihal Shetty, who appeared on the first season of The Stage, would go on to do backing vocals for Mirzya and Rock On 2 and is steadily inching his way up in Bollywood. The sad part, he says, is that on these shows, “some days, things just don’t work out performance-wise. And it could undo your entire journey that far. But you get past that and work harder.” It’s something nearly almost every contestant who hasn’t won a reality show can relate to.

Other contestants who made it big
Neha Kakkar (Indian Idol 2; Currently, a popular playback and independent singer-songwriter)

Darshan Raval (India’s Raw Star; Currently YouTube phenom, released a few singles and has over 3L followers on FB)

Monali Thakur (Indian Idol 2; Currently, a Bollywood playback singer and actress)

Mohd Irfan (Star Voice Of India; Currently, popular playback singer)

Toshi-Sharib (Star Voice of India and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge; B-Town composers today)

Altamash Faridi (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar; Currently, a playback singer)

BOMBAY TIMES (March 13, 2016)