Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 16, 2020)

The ongoing season of Indian Idol has proved to be a bigger platform for its contestants than ever before. The newest addition to its list of hopefuls who have landed playback jobs even before the show winds up, is Rishabh Chaturvedi.

A few weeks ago, the 21-year-old Amritsar boy had performed an original composition for Alia Bhatt on the show. Later, the actress had sent over a video message to thank him for the gesture. Now, Varun Dhawan, who was on the show recently to promote Street Dancer 3D, has promised Rishabh that he will ensure the singer’s original song makes it into a film. Admitting that he loved the composition, Varun said, “I will request Karan Johar to include the song in the next film he casts Alia and me.” Owing to Rishabh’s admiration for his first co-star, Varun had even brought along a dupatta that the actress had worn in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania.

Neha Kakkar, who features as a judge on the show and has given playback for the song “Garmi” in Street Dancer 3D, performed it on stage with the actor, while Varun made everyone, including Neha’s fellow judge Vishal Dadlani, perform the hook step of the song.

Pooja Sharma (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 22, 2019)

Vishal Dadlani, over the years, has crooned many hit numbers. His latest track, Bala (Housefull 4), too, has become a chartbuster. The singer-composer, who’s currently judging a singing reality show, says he enjoys different creative aspects of his job. Excerpts from an interview.

Bala has become a rage. Was it expected?
I’m happy that people liked the song. Also, working with Akshay Kumar is always fun and I love singing for him.

While singing for other music directors, do you let the music composer within you experiment with the song?
I just follow the instructions when I am singing for someone else. I keep myself in that composer’s place and think what I’d do if someone tried to change my song. I’ve been lucky that all the composers I’ve worked with were very nice and allowed me to tweak the song.

Along with singing and composing, do you enjoy judging singing reality shows just as much?
With every passing year, the talent we get on these singing reality shows keeps getting better. There are a variety of singers on the show this time, such as Rishabh Chaturvedi and Chetana Bharadwaj that make judging worthwhile. Anyone, who wants to make their name in the music industry, should have a voice that touches everyone’s heart and sincerity for their craft.

You’ve mainly sung high tempo songs, though they have all been quite different. Does your style depend on the situation of a song or the actor you’re singing for?
It’s a combination of different factors. Though, obviously, the actor and the situation the song is based on plays an important part. It also depends on your mood while signing, and of course, the team involved. It’s important to have a positive atmosphere around you while you are recording.