‘THERE’S A PANDEMIC IN MUSIC INDUSTRY’
Neha Kakkar and Aditya Narayan made a shocking revelation that singers don’t get ‘ a single penny’ in Bollywood
NEW DELHI: After Neha Kakkar made a shocking revelation about singers not being paid, Aditya Narayan, who has belted out hits like ‘Main dooba rahoon’ and ‘Tattad tattad’ among many others, has seconded her saying that singers don’t get a “single penny” in Bollywood and that there is a “pandemic in the music industry”.
Neha had earlier said: “We don’t get paid for singing in Bollywood at all. What happens is they feel that if we give a superhit song, the singer will earn through shows. I get a good amount from live concerts and everything, but Bollywood doesn’t have this scene. To make us sing a song, they don’t pay.”
Aditya couldn’t agree more. “We don’t get a single penny. It’s like they are gratifying us by calling us to sing a song and it’s as if god has touched us, and we have been blessed by the holy spirit. I have a problem with anyone doing anything for free. Let’s not just target the music industry. I am saying don’t make anyone do anything for free. Leave this goodwill. Now this new thing has come up that ‘you would get exposure’. What will I do with the exposure? Put the exposure between my bread and eat? What will I do with exposure when I do not have money to run my house and basic necessities? So please stop exploiting,” the young singer said.
He shared the reason why singers are not paid.
“Why singers are not paid is because 20 singers are made to sing one song and then one company, one producer and actor will decide ‘iska version rakhte hain’ (let’s keep this version). I never see that happening in any other profession. You don’t call 20 actors to shoot a scene and keep one actor’s scene,” said the son of veteran singer Udit Narayan.
“So why this behaviour for singers? Just because humari bechari our laachari hai (it is our compulsion)? Just because we have to make ends meet it doesn’t mean that they would do anything. At least give us Rs 1000 for a song? In a nutshell there are a lot of issues I hope we resolve, which is why I encourage my own generation and forthcoming generation to make their own music,” he said.
Aditya said, ‘It’s like they are gratifying us by calling us to sing a song’