Sunidhi Chauhan opens up about The Remix, musical reality shows and how Bollywood shapes its singers-Entertainment News, Firstpost

Bollywood reading singer Sunidhi Chauhan, whose voice remains unforgettable because of songs like ‘Ruki ruki‘ and ‘Simple mehboob‘, is set to be seen on the next musical reality show The Remix, which will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video India. She will judge the candidates with music composer Amit Trivedi and DJ Nucleya. Ahead of the show’s launch on March 9, the famous singer spoke with First post on reality TV shows on television, the state of Bollywood music these days and the lack of gasoline in newly released songs.

Sunidhi Chauhan, along with her contemporary (and rival, as some consider her) Shreya Ghoshal, were the most successful playback singers in the Hindi film industry after 2002. Chauhan and Ghoshal are also counted among those Bollywood voices who had a transition successful reality TV shows at recording studios. They enjoy a large number of fans, have a range of awards and accolades to their name, and have critical and commercial appeal.

Chauhan in particular is known for her versatility and distinct vocal texture. There was a time when party songs and high tempo dance / object songs were composed with Chauhan in mind, and she did those compositions perfectly justice. From its beginnings with ‘Ruki Ruki’ and ‘Mast’, To ‘Dhoom Machale’, ‘Beedi Jalaile’, ‘Sajna Ve’, ‘Kamli’, ‘Ainvayi Ainvayi’ to more recent songs like ‘Radha’ and ‘Gudgudi’, Chauhan continues to leave a mark.

Chauhan was first spotted on the 1996 reality show Meri Awaaz Suno, hosted by Annu Kapoor and judged by Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey, Pandit Jasraj and Bhupen Hazarika. The show was supported by Doordarshan, Mangeshkar and Yash Chopra’s Metavision. Since then, Chauhan has been on many reality shows as a jury member, but she claims The remix it is very different. “While the previous ones sang talent shows, The remix has a DJ paired with a singer, both contributing equally to the song and recreating it. Sure, these are Bollywood songs (old and new alike), but the idea of ​​creating something absolutely new, whether it’s relevant or not, and then making those songs sound new, is very. exciting, ”Chauhan said. .

She adds, “What I love about the show is that a pair (DJ and singer) have two to three days to prepare a song, so you can also see the whole creation process. usually don’t. know what’s in it, what makes it so different. Also, it’s not the regular, commercialized remix that the competitors do; they recreate, recompose sounds, add songs to it. elements … So it’s totally different. That way, I think people will be better informed about the remixes, in a more refined way. “

Over the years, many listeners have frowned upon the growing trend to revamp old Bollywood classics and change them completely. As the industry continues to use this song remix formula, the distinct sound of the originals is lost in the process. Speaking about this phenomenon, the two-time Filmfare Award winner said, “If you touch anything from the classic era, it has to be done with a lot of taste, with a lot of thought and with a lot of love. understand the intensity and sensitivity of the song, and remix it accordingly. Only then will it sound good, and sometimes also improve the original composition. As long as the emotion of the song remains intact, it’s fine. “

“The problem arises when the emotion of the song says something and you end up creating something else. But if you feel the sound right, you can get closer to what it really was when it was first created. Added Chauhan. She further explains, citing examples of the The remix, “There were a few songs in the series that were really cool despite being overproduced. They made the 90s songs totally new and fresh. I know the genre was made to death, but the contestants have. made some good rap – good rap – minimalist, in three lines, in a way that didn’t seem imposed and overwhelming. At the same time, there would also be Alas here and there, so it’s a new definition of the remix you’ll see on the show. “

Chauhan had a great time at the show with Trivedi and Nucleya as judges, and also learned a lot. “I liked it a lot, I had no idea what a DJ job was; I didn’t know what the turntables meant. I was really fascinated by the whole idea; it was a whole new world for me. When I found out that the other two judges on the panel were Amit [Trivedi] and Nucleya, it was all the more exciting since we all come from different musical backgrounds. We were constantly educating each other, learning from each other and at the same time, learning from performances. So it was a good change to talk about something other than singing, ”says Chauhan.

Speaking of the creative and musical exchanges she witnessed during the show, Chauhan says it was the basic understanding of music and the feel of it that struck a chord with the three judges, although they come from different musical spaces. “The basics were the same. Nucleya told me that he learned to sing as a child and that he had probably been trained in classical music for a while. Amit is a natural composer. He loves the roots of Indian music, and at the same time he can create something very contemporary. His music is something that anyone can sing, which is very difficult to decipher. You see, difficult songs are difficult, but you can decipher it if you are trained, know how to play the harmonium, take pieces from ragas, then put it all together … but a tune that comes straight from the heart, as simple as it may sound, is difficult to sing, “says -she. “My roots are based on Lata Mangeshkar. Whether it’s classic songs, thumris, light songs – she’s everything. Whether she sang it or not, she is my school; I admire it that way. I guess a lot of others are doing it too, or maybe the whole nation is doing it. So it was all possible because we come from the same roots. Whenever we commented on something, we were always on the same page, all the time, ”explains Chauhan.

Sunidhi Chauhan during a concert. Facebook

Speaking of the show in particular, Chauhan says there is no “drama” involved. “There’s none of that because it’s not even necessary. All the applicants are famous people; you would have seen them or heard them somewhere, they are established. About 30% of the things you see will be live, unlike other pre-recorded shows. Competitors sing it, not mime. So the main goal is to create good music. They were only evaluated on merit. It will be very clear, and you’ll see us talking only about performance. “

Today, a number of female voices sing the songs of Bollywood. The condition and quality of music today is questionable, but the underlying reasons are often overlooked by the general public. Chauhan sheds light on whether the quality of music today is questionable, revealing the role that technology has played. “There are opportunities today, there are a lot of singers. But they are not asked to do what they can, but what has already been done. ‘Sing like him, sound like him,’ their what to do, the music directors are not sure what they need from the singer. Most of them are programmers who have become music composers. They buy songs in places where you can buy them legally. They don’t get what they want because they can’t explain what they had in mind. So it’s a mess, “she said.

“Music composers don’t care about the quality, they just worry about how it sounds different. There’s no more importance placed on the singer’s skills. Happy with the recording, doctor! They’re fools; they don’t realize that when you plug in that doctor plug, all voices sound the same. Even if they don’t realize it, the audience gets it, “Chauhan says.

Speaking further on the matter, Chauhan said, “If there are 50 singers, 20 are good singers and 30 are not singers. And you will easily understand that when they perform live. people in the audience say, “Don” don’t sing like that, sing like you originally sang. ‘ But the problem is, the original is doctored. How can a non-singer sing that way? It’s so embarrassing and scary. “

Chauhan also mentions that reality shows today also contribute to the drain of talent and the deterioration of the quality of music. She says, “If there is potential, that will be crushed by praising them so much that it goes to their heads. All the scope of the improvement is taken away. You will see that happen a lot in these reality shows, in especially in children’s reality TV shows. When the judges say, “You sang it better than the original,” they feel like they’ve done their best. So even if one of the between them had the potential to become the greatest of the greats, which I am sure is because India is full of talent, they never get the opportunity. “