Sunidhi Chauhan voice is very good but something is missing in Shreya Ghosal’s voice, says Bollywood singing legend Alisha Chinai
By Subhash K Jha
MUMBAI: “Shreya Ghosal has a pretty voice, but something’s missing,” says Alisha Chinai.
She speaks to Subhash K Jha:
Q: What do you think of the contemporary playback singers in Bollywood?
Sunidhi Chauhan works hard on her voice and has good technique. Shreya Ghosal has a pretty voice. But somehow something is missing. The Je ne sais quoi…the wow factor.
Q: So which voices according to you have the wow factor?
Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Adnan Sami…Well, all the Pakistani singers. Pure magic. Junooni awaazen hain.
Q: There are people in India who think Pakistani singers should be banned?
The call for a ban is too politically motivated. I can understand Indian sentiments regarding this matter. But music should heal and transcend barriers between countries.
Q: Priyanka Chopra is singing abroad?
Priyanka has a sexy voice. Singing, I’m not sure.I haven’t heard her. Would love to hear the album.
Q: Vishal Dadlani once said you have a good voice. But you’re a bad singer.
Ha ha. That’s seriously funny considering they called me to sing. I’m the hit-maker, baby. The star of the song. Besides these guys are not the Beethoven of Bollywood.
Q: If you are soooo good, why do you need to lift foreign grooves?
They called me to sing their song. All I said was I was not interested or inspired to sing for Bollywood. The fame doesn’t excite me. So please ask the producers to pay me my price or simply f…k off. Keep the change.
Q: You seem to have raised a hornest’s nest by refusing to sing for Vishal-Shekhar for the price they offered you?
Which part of my ‘NO’ did they fail to understand or appreciate? Sorry if I bruised their Himalayan egos.
Q: Why are you unhappy with being a ghost voice. Weren’t you glad to see Aishwarya and Katrina take your songs Kajra re and Tera hone laga to millions?
No, I am against the lip-synching in the Bollywood mocktail. It doesn’t do justice to the singer or the actress. The singer gets relegated to being a ghost voice and the actress just looks very pretty. But also very silly hamming up in the song-and-dance routine.
Q: Any composers today that you respect and would like to work with?
The great A R Rahman of course! He has great production skills. I like Anu Malik’s melodies. They are hooky and mushy. Shankar-Ehasan-Loy are good too. Shankar is a very good singer and producer too.
Q: You have remained single all these years?
I am at a happy place. It’s far less complicated and troublesome. Relationships are too fragile and transitory these days. Nothing lasts.
Q: Don’t you miss a companion?
Yeah sure I do! But it’s important to find the right man.I think I will find him soon.
CAUGHT: Sunidhi Chauhan without p….
