Elina Nayak (BOMBAY TIMES; March 17, 2018)

Krishna Kumar Kunnath, popular as KK, has been mesmerising us with his powerful and soulful voice for over two decades now. Whether it’s Chodh Aaye Hum Woh Galiyan, Tu Ashiqui Hai, Tadap Tadap Ke, Zara Sa, Khuda Jaane, Tu Hi Meri Shab or Tune Mari Entriyaan, his songs are still evergreen in our hearts. The singer shifted to Mumbai from Delhi in the 90s to pursue his dreams of making an album. Little did he know that one day he would end up becoming one of the top playback singers in the country. The singer gets candid in a freewheeling chat about his plans to compose his own music, the dying Indipop scene in the country and more. Excerpts:

We don’t get to hear you often in Bollywood these days. You’ve been very choosy with songs for some time now. Is that a conscious decision?
It’s just that there are plenty of singers out there, so I feel that I should start doing what I came here to do initially. Singing happened to me — all thanks to God, and my friends and family, who pushed and encouraged me. Plus, I got the opportunity to sing some very beautiful songs over the years. However, I had come to this industry to make albums, not films. In 1999, I did Pal, and then Tadap Tadap (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) happened at the same time. I couldn’t help it, and I still continued taking up as many of the songs as I could. I thought that maybe if I do films too, it would open up new avenues for me. At the time, I thought I would continue playback singing for a few years before going back to the original plan. However, those few years have turned into 22 years now (laughs). I have come to a situation in my life, where I have to be stingy. Trust me, it takes a lot of time to forget yourself, to forget the artist in you, and to sing songs for another composer. You are always like, ‘chal, I’ll sing Awarapan for you’, ‘I’ll sing Ding Dong Ding for you’, ‘I will do Khuda Jaane for you...’ But this is not me. I’m a music director’s singer. I want to start discovering myself and my own music. I hope I have that vision and focus to compose and write my own songs, and I hope to come up with a single this year. I’m not a mediocre guy, who’ll do something just for the heck of it. I need to live my life. I want to do five to six film songs a year at the most. The time has come, when God is like, ‘chal, now you do your kind of songs’. I’m slowly getting back on my track.

Anybody and everybody is turning into a playback singer today, thanks to auto tune. Though helpful, do you think technology can be a curse too?
The thing is, everyone wants to sing today, which is good, because singing gives you a high. It relaxes your mind and body, and it make you happy. All this is fine to an extent, but what will you do when you perform live on stage? You can’t just say ‘chalo, main bhi ek video bana leta hoon, because iska koi faida nai hota’. How will it help you? You can look pretty in videos and pictures, but if you don’t sound good live, people will think — ‘OMG, yeh toh model hai... samne kuch aur hi hai’. To actually be a professional in this field, you need a lot of hard work and commitment. It’s not easy.

There was a time when Indi-pop, as a genre, created an alternative fan base that could compete with Bollywood music. Today, it’s almost vanished from the scene. What do you think is the reason behind it?
To start with, I do hope the independent scene grows, because we have so much talent out there. There was a time when we had to get our songs shot, make videos with recording companies, and then release them. Today, we have YouTube. All you have to do is sing and upload your songs, and next thing you know, you are an internet sensation — like Dhinchak Pooja. She is popular, but there’s a difference between being trendy, and being an actual serious musician, who can generate good music and stay here for good. Singing can only happen if you believe in it. It can’t be like, ‘let me have some fun temporarily’. The moment you put your best foot forward, and take it to another level, you become stronger.

What do you do when you’re not singing?
I love to go on long drives. That’s my way of chilling, and it’s my favourite pastime as well. Moreover, I’m a total family guy, who loves cooking, watching movies with family, and sitting and chatting with my wife and two kids. Sometimes, we chat the whole day, about various topics, and end up arguing, fighting and then patching up again (laughs). So, if I’m not working, I’m home.

You’re not active on social media either...
I’m not a social media person, nor am I on any messaging apps, I’m not active anywhere. It takes a lot of time and investment, and like I said, if I’m not working, I’m with family. I’m very selfish about my time, because it’s my time and I’ve been like this for the last 22 years now. I connect with my fans by performing live or when I meet them in person at malls, on the roads, or anywhere else. They come to me with lot of love and passion, and lot of faith in my music, so that’s when I oblige them.

Two minutes of fame also brings a lot of trolling — and internet sensations try everything from Vipassana meditation to just blocking trolls to handle it
Sonam Joshi (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 18, 2018)

This week, a little-known 18-year-old debutante actor from Kerala was catapulted into the national spotlight after her wink vent viral. Such is Priya Prakash Varrier’s fan following now that an Instagram photo she posted on Friday got her 5,000 likes in the time it takes ordinary folks to make Maggi.

Varrier isn’t the first or the last (though she is the fastest) to get her star on the internet walk of fame. Till May last year, Ratan Gadhvi was working as a security guard in Ahmedabad. A friend posted a video of him singing a number from Gujarati film ‘Wrong Side Raju’ in the warehouse he worked at, and it got retweets from Anupam Kher and Shreya Ghoshal. “I didn’t even have a smartphone or a Facebook account,” Gadhvi, 21, recalls. After a film producer came forward to support his music training, Gadhvi quit his job. He has adopted the moniker Anmol Ratan and has started his own YouTube channel. “I was always fond of singing, but couldn’t pursue it for lack of family support,” he says.

There’s another side to instafame — dealing with the equally swift judgement and criticism. Trolled endlessly for being tone deaf, Dhinchak Pooja, who broke the internet with cringe-pop hits such as Selfie Maine Le Li Aaj, has learnt to ignore negative comments. The 24-year-old has 3.5 lakh YouTube subscribers, recently appeared on Bigg Boss, and is now shooting for an MTV show. “A lot of people work hard but everyone doesn’t make it big online,” she says. “The internet opened a career path for me. I can’t predict the future but I have to follow the opportunities that life offers.”

Last May, Delhi resident Amisha Bhardwaj became an accidental internet sensation when a spontaneous video of her dancing to the song ‘Cheap Thrills’ in shorts with her bridesmaids blew up. “It was not choreographed. I was just grooving,” Bhardwaj, 26, says. She was soon flooded with Facebook friend requests and messages from strangers. “It wasn’t the dancing,” she says. “The video broke the stereotype that brides have to be shy.”

Yet, with the compliments came the trolling. “They said, ‘How could she wear such clothes on her wedding day? It is not in our sanskaar. How could she get the limelight and not the groom?’ It was also about how a bride is supposed to behave on her wedding day,” she says. Though she got offers to do more YouTube videos, ads and reality shows, Bhardwaj is happy to focus on her current job as an event manager. “My intention wasn’t to get famous. I’m just glad I could motivate some women,” she says.

For many women, virality is a double-edged sword. Last February, when Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur uploaded a photograph of herself holding a placard in response to student protests, little did she imagine that it would unleash a wave of harassment and make her the subject of prime time television debates. “I had never faced as much hate as I did in the three days that followed. I didn’t know that so much hate was possible,” Kaur writes in her new book ‘Little Acts of Freedom’.

In the days that followed, Kaur went off social media and attended a Vipassana meditation course. “Then, I was shocked at the vitriol online. Now, I don’t care. The people whose opinions I care about are my friends and family.”

A month after she was trolled, Kaur wrote a powerful blog on her identity being more than the stereotype of a ‘martyr’s daughter’. that led to the book. “I had to tell my own story in my own words,” Kaur says. “I don’t need a primetime host to tell my story for me.”

Despite her decision to speak out, Kaur admits that there is still a lingering fear that the online death and rape threats could seep into real life. “The fear doesn’t leave me,” she says. “I’ve stopped travelling alone. I keep my phone charged.” Yet the experience made her realise the power of social media. “The internet can be the greatest space if you know how to make it work in your favour. It can be the worst if you don’t know how to work around it. It depends on how you react.”

Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; November 7, 2017)

With his soulful tracks like Tanha Dil and Bhool Jaa, Shaan was one of the names leading the indie music pack in India in the ’90s and early 2000s. So, it’s only fitting that the singer has rekindled his romance with the genre, as the independent music scene sees a revival of sorts. Close on the heels of releasing a single, Surilee, Shaan talks about how social media has breathed new life into the world of non-film music.

You released Surilee recently and came up with Vaishnav Janato last month. What prompted you to turn to indie music again?
Releasing independent projects is an effort to connect directly with my audience. At this point in my career, I want to enjoy my craft rather than make music according to others’ expectations.

Indie music had seen a lull in the early '2000s. Do you think it’s reviving?
What started off around five years ago [indie artistes releasing their work on YouTube and social media] has now gathered steam. Many artistes are making a mark and it’s an encouraging sign. A lot of live performance venues have opened up. People want to listen to non-film music again. The easy access through YouTube and music streaming sites helps discover artistes quite easily.

Do you agree that social media platforms also end up giving mileage to untrained artistes? Dhinchak Pooja, for instance?
We should not confuse that [cringe pop] with good music. Their creations are more like freak shows that people find funny for their stupidity. I’m not saying that YouTube is supporting bad musicians. Everyone is allowed to put up whatever they want to.

As a veteran, what’s your suggestion for upcoming indie artistes?
You need to find your USP, know what’s unique about your music. Work towards honing that rather than trying to follow in someone else’s footsteps.

This is your fourth stint as a judge on The Voice India. What makes you the only constant member on the show?
It is an internationally acclaimed show and is close to my heart. The format creates a lot of intrigue and entertainment for the viewers. I would love to stick around for as long as I can.

Do you have any film songs coming up?
I am looking forward to the song from Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3. It’s a romantic duet with Sunidhi [Chauhan]

Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; October 19, 2017)

"I'm not scared of anyone,” says Pooja Jain aka Dhinchak Pooja as she gets ready to join Bigg Boss 11 as a wild card entry. Her claim to fame, if one may call it so, are her cringe-inducing songs like Selfie maine le li aaj and Dilon ka shooter that have gone viral less for their musical prowess and more for the entertainment value they provide. Given her attention-seeking behaviour, the YouTube star fits right in with the reality show.

She attributes her interest in the show to host Salman Khan. “Getting to meet Salman was reason enough to give my nod. I haven’t seen all the episodes [of the current season]. So, I can’t decide who is good and who isn’t.”

Acknowledging that the series tends to bring out the worst in people, the pop artist says it will be a task for her to keep her cool. “I don’t know how I’ll react when I’ll get angry. As it is, I have anger [management] issues. But I hope to solve everything with a positive attitude there.”

Buzz suggested that Pooja was approached to be one of the contestants right at the start of the show. However, things did not work out as she allegedly demanded an exorbitant remuneration. Prod her on the subject and she says, “I was busy with my new song then and hence, could not commit to the show. When they offered me a wild card entry, I happily took it up because I was free.”

She views Bigg Boss as a stepping stone to Bollywood. “People say this show helps you get film offers. I hope that’s true.”

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 18, 2017)

Last week, Bigg Boss contestant Priyank Sharma, who is a huge hit with youngsters after his appearances in other reality shows like Roadies and Splitsvilla, was ousted in the first week itself by an enraged Salman Khan after he hit co-contestant, rapper Akash Dadlani, for mocking his friend, producer Vikas Gupta.

In an interview to Mirror (October 13) Priyank had justified his actions saying inmates like Shilpa Shinde and Akash had been abusing Vikas and his family since the first day and he couldn’t take it anymore. He had appeared far from upset with the star-host, saying,“Salman bhai is one of the best hosts and knows what is right and what is wrong.”

Now, Mirror has learnt that Salman, who shoots the Diwali special episode this Friday, is going to send two Wild Card entries into the house, one of whom is Priyank. His female fans have been vociferously protesting his abrupt exit on the social media and demanding that he be brought back.

Priyank confirmed the news, saying, “This season has been explosive from the word go. My journey was incomplete because of an impulse decision. But I’ll be going back into the house to make amends with a different outlook and advice from Salman sir. And I’m hoping I come out a winner at the end of this innings.”

The second Wild Card entry is online sensation Pooja Jain, famously known as Dhinchak Pooja. The singer-songwriter is known for pioneering cringe-pop in India, with music videos including “Selfie Mein Ne Le Li Aaj.”

Witnessing a revival thanks to the internet, the rapper has never been more prolific and irreverent and is reaching out to a new generation of listeners
Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; September 30, 2017)

BOMBAY TIMES (July 2, 2017)

What's Pooja Jain, the cringe pop belter of numbers like Selfie... and Swag Wali Topi, like when she's not cruising the streets of Delhi in muscled bikes, taking selfies? A shopaholic, we discover
Jane Borges (MID-DAY; June 18, 2017)

Thirty seconds into our call with Dhinchak Pooja and she already has us at wit's end. The Delhi-based viral sensation, who stumped everyone in May when her Selfie Maine Liya rap exploded the Internet and crossed over 15 million views, has agreed for an interview a month after remaining elusive. When asked if she'd agree to a photo shoot, she says yes. But, there's a catch. Pooja needs to go shopping to the mall first. And if she finds great clothes, she says, she will think about it. When we tell her that's unnecessary, she drawls in Hinglish, "Same kapde nahin pehne hain. Boring ho jayega. Main shopping jaoongi."

She says she will need at least two hours to shop. We manage to switch subject. Like everyone, we are curious about the back-story of this ingenious cringe-pop artiste, who has been compared to Pakistan's Angel aka Tahir Shah.



Dhinchak Pooja recently took to social media to share her real name — Pooja Jain. The 23-year-old, who has a Bachelor degree in Arts from an open university, tells us that she does "nothing" apart from making music. But, if you think she has been topping YouTube charts only now, her musical 'career' actually began last July with Swag Wali Topi. In the video, the self-proclaimed rapper is seen zooming past the streets of Delhi in a BMW and Suzuki Hayabusa with minions tagging along in black tees and caps bearing the 'swag' of their song. That number catapulted her into the viral spotlight, earning her over two million views. Her next song, Daaru, which broke all conventions of music, be it tune or tempo, could kill the worst hangover in minutes. That song managed to rake in five million views since its release in January. Switch to her latest croaky 'selfie' track and we wonder how? "I have been listening to music since I was a child. While I like all kinds of music, I mostly get my inspiration from Bollywood," says Pooja, her favourite being sufi singer Kailash Kher.

She claims to have started writing music three years ago for want of anything better to do. "I first studied how to write lyrics," she says. We are about to ask how, and from who when she cuts in, "Lyrics ka procedure hota hai; You have to know when the main line, second line and chorus come, only then you can write. I studied this procedure properly."

She says, "Some friends heard Swag Wali Topi and they loved it. They encouraged me to make a video." Pooja decided to call herself 'dhinchak' because she says her attitude towards life is entertaining and carefree.



Pooja's father has been instrumental in funding her juvenile fantasies. "Paise ki koi kamin nahin hai. Papa gives me the money. I just have to go and ask," she says, the brattishness unwavering. She, however, refuses to reveal what her father does. "We need privacy," she declares.

The posse of young men, who dance in the videos are acquaintances or relatives. "It's I who decide on the concept, the number of actors and locations for my song. Once that is done, I record the song at a studio, and get a director to shoot it," she says, adding that she also takes auditions for those, who are keen on being part of her projects. Each video takes about three to four months to make. "You can't work continuously…kyunki body ko bhi araam chahiye." When not making music, Pooja is either shopping, partying or chilling with friends.

That people love Pooja's gumption is now well known. Last month, Mumbai boy Sameer Pagare, administrator of the Facebook page, 'Kalyan City Trolls', had managed to convince people that they could catch the 'Swag' singer perform live in Kalyan. Over 7,000 people agreed to show up at that event. "Yes, I read that somebody had made a fake Dhinchak Pooja concert Facebook page in Mumbai, and that 10,000 people agreed to be part of it. You can imagine, how many will show up when I really perform," she says.

Even if she sounds conceited, you can't deny that this confidence comes partially from the approval she has received from social media. She claims to be ignorant of the haters and trolls. "I don't read negative comments about myself. My job is to make music for my fans who like it," she says. "That does not mean I don't take feedback. I have taken all the criticism, and decided to release an even better video in August."

To make it possible, Pooja has been doing riyaaz every day; she has also hired a group of professional dancers and a production team. "Iske baad mera pura kaam sabke saamne aa jayega," she says. "Nobody knows what Dhinchak is really capable of just yet."