The debate over how ‘real’ singing reality shows are has taken another turn, with Neha Kakkar taking a pointed dig at Sunidhi Chauhan .
Her comments, however, have not gone down well with several people online, with some calling them “disrespectful”.
Neha has now defended the format and questioned such criticism While Sunidhi has previously spoken about stepping away from reality shows over concerns about scripting and the use of Auto-Tune.
The show will premiere on Amazon MX Player, although its release date has not yet been announced. She joins fellow mentors Aditya Rikhari and KING, as well as host Wicked Sunny (Vikalp Dwivedi). Meanwhile, Neha is gearing up for I-POPSTAR Volume 2.
In 2024, Sunidhi had also spoken about how reality shows had become scripted and fake. Sunidhi also revealed that one of the most shocking and disturbing aspects for her was being asked by the makers to promote a specific contestant regardless of their performance. Angoor jisko nahi milte usko khatte hi lagte hain. Yeh show bilkul scripted nahi hai (When someone cannot get what they want, they tend to convince themselves that it wasn’t worth having anyway. This show is not at all scripted). People’s lives are never scripted. Of course, we all come from a humble background, and if I get emotional listening to someone’s story, so it’s natural. “You can’t do that in a reality show, where you are supposed to be all real and honest. When that started happening in reality shows, I felt things were going in a direction I couldn’t accept. That’s when I chose to step away, and I’m much happier. She also noted that everything on television is now edited and manipulated, as showmakers aim to present every singer in a positive light.
She further took a dig at Sunidhi and said, “Sorry, but I would like to say, ‘angoor naa mile toh angoor khate hain’ log aisa bolte hain toh waisa hi hai. Speaking to Raj Shamani, she said that there was no drama on Indian Idol in its early days, but things gradually changed. This can leave viewers confused when a contestant who appeared to perform well is eliminated in the following episode, according to Sunidhi.
Neha’s comments sparked a mixed reaction online, with some users criticising her response. One comment read, “Want this level of delusion. Another commented, “this is so disrespectful. The Kakkar family cannot sing a song even in a studio and Sunidhi delivers the best live concerts in India.
Another comment read, “The audacity!”
In a recent conversation with Shekhar Suman, Sunidhi revealed that she is not comfortable with how some reality shows operate nowadays. I couldn’t continue with it. It was done to give the music a certain style and make it sound better.”
Because i felt it wasn’t the right place for me, she said, “I was a part of it for a very long time, but then I decided to stop. Because earlier, people used Auto-Tune only to create a particular sound or effect in songs, it’s a very sad thing.
