Bollywood singer Singh overwhelmed by Nepali fans’ response

By Renuka Dhakal,Kathmandu, Dec. 4: Bollywood singer Vineet Singh came to Nepal for a musical concert ‘Vineet Singh Live in Nepal’ held at Club Platinum on Saturday.

Recounting his concert experience in Nepal to The Rising Nepal, he expressed, “It was a memorable time for me. As it was my first visit to Nepal, I hadn’t anticipated such an enthusiastic response and crowd. The audience’s energy surpassed that of some of the Indian crowds I have performed for.”

During his concert, he performed his popular numbers like ‘Tera Pyar Hookah Bar’, ‘Jalte Diye,’ ‘Prem Leela, ‘Khiladi Bhaiya’ and more throughout the show. In Nepal, he visited the Pashupatinath temple on Saturday and felt a different atmosphere there. 

He expressed a desire to visit the temple again and wished to visit Pokhara. 

He relished Newari cuisine, particularly Buff Sukuti, expressing his fondness for it.  He greatly appreciates Nepali people and said that it felt like they were Indian and that he felt at home. 

When asked about Nepali songs, he said that he heard the TikTok viral song ‘Badal Barsha Bijuli’ and also sang ‘Mohani Lagla Hai’ during the concert.

 Due to the language barrier, he did not understand Nepali songs but expressed a wish to sing more Nepali songs in his next concert in Nepal.

Regarding collaboration with Nepali musicians, he said, “I don’t mind singing, in fact, I would enjoy singing Nepali songs and creating a fans in Nepal.”

If given a chance to collaborate, he would love to collaborate with the best musicians and composers in Nepal.

He plans to visit Nepal again and do more concerts.

He entered the Bollywood music industry through the musical reality show ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ in 2005, where he secured the first runner-up position. 

He also participated in ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar’ and another musical reality show the ‘Indian Idol’ season 13. 

 Sharing his musical journey, he said that, he started singing at the age of five and began doing stage shows at eight. At just 16, he sang his first Bollywood film song, ‘Dil Rang Le’ with Sunidhi Chauhan, making him the youngest playback singer in India.  Hailing from Lucknow, India, he got the opportunity to enter Bollywood as a playback singer and has sung over 25 songs so far.

 He participated in three singing reality shows and when asked about the significance of winning the trophy in such competitions, he said that although winning is crucial, the paramount importance lies in the substantial experience and opportunities gained by ordinary contestants like winners and that matters more. When asked about the merits and drawbacks of singing reality shows, he said that the best aspect was gaining a widespread audience and opportunities. 

Reflecting on his own experience, he said, “I came to Nepal to perform, and that’s a significant achievement for me because only a few Bollywood singers come here to perform, and it’s because of the singing reality shows.”

On the flip side, he disapproves of the voting pattern in reality shows, believing that the audience tends to favour contestants not necessarily based on their singing excellence but rather on emotional connections. He believes that those who are economically disadvantaged or going through hardship often receive more votes in the Indian reality shows rather than deserving ones. 

When asked about Nepali singer Menuka Poudel, currently participating in Indian Idol, he said Indian audiences are very emotional, and due to her differently-abled status, they might vote for her out of sympathy. 

 He expressed his confidence in her chances of winning the show due to the emotional appeal she holds for the audience.

He returned to India on Sunday.