There’s a lot happening in Neha Kakkar’s life. She is not only judging the 10th edition of Indian Idol but has also dropped four non-film singles in the past one month — Nikle Currant with Jassie Gill, Baarish with Bilal Saeed, Zindagi Mil Jayegi and Dil Chahiye — all of which have garnered millions of views on YouTube. Add to that her Bollywood career and live shows. There’s also much buzz as far as her personal life is concerned. Her friendship with Yaariyan actor Himansh Kohli has been the talk of the town, with the two indulging in PDA on television as well as social media, whether it was ‘Neha’s swayamvar’ on her music reality show or cutesy nicknames — Nehu and Heeman — for each other or the duo sharing their cuddly photos. When After Hrs asks the über popular songstress about her ‘bestie’, the question is carefully staved off. But she does talk to us about other things...
Idol talk
After being a contestant on Indian Idol season 2, and eliminated quickly, Neha occupied the judge’s seat alongside biggies like Vishal Dadlani and Anu Malik, who has now been replaced by Javed Ali, post allegations of sexual harassment by Sona Mohapatra and Shweta Pandit. The La La La (Baazaar) singer says about her new co-judge, “Javed Ali and I judged another singing reality show last year. So, we are friends and pretty well versed with each other’s style of working. So, I welcomed him with open arms. On his part, he slipped into Anuji’s place smoothly.” As far as elimination of contestants goes, she states, “It does hurt a lot if someone gets eliminated but that’s the part of being a judge on a reality show.”
Emotional in real life
Speaking of hurting, in the initial phase of the show, one saw her weeping at the drop of a hat. In her videos and on social media, she is otherwise seen as a happy girl with a perpetual smile on her face. “I am what you see on screen. I have no pretences or another personality when the cameras roll. I am always ‘me’ everywhere— including off the screen,” she says emphasising that she is an extremely emotional person.
A big year
2018 has been a great year for Neha, in terms of playback singing as well as singles. “The biggest highlights would definitely have to be Dilbar (Satyameva Jayate) and Indian Idol. Both have been doing exceptionally well,” avers the singer, who also sang Morni Banke in the recently released movie, Badhaai Ho. There have also been as many as six non-film tracks, including La La La with Arjun Kanungo and Oh Humsafar, which garnered a lot of attention also because of her chemistry with Himansh. But, the duo is not recreating the magic anytime soon, as Neha says, “As of now, nothing with Himansh is in the pipeline. If something interesting is offered, I will look into it.”
Another big moment was Sara Ali Khan recently appeared on the show and said that she came for Neha. The vocalist says, “Sara was extremely sweet. It feels nice when your work is appreciated.” As for her fangirl moment, it was with Govinda when the veteran actor visited the set. “I’ve been a big fan of his since I was a child,” Neha avers.
Success and failure
While Neha is riding high on success currently, she is also mindful that there will always be competition at every level. “It keeps me on my toes and makes me go that extra mile. There will always be someone better than me. I am aware and prepared for that. I’ve always believed that if one is talented, one is here to stay. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin — one should focus on the work and the rest will follow. Till then, I am enjoying each moment of my success.”
‘Nothing to hide’
While Neha appreciates the adulation that has come her way, she takes the lack of privacy in her stride. “It’s part of the industry we are in,” Neha reasons, and continues, “Anyway, I am like an open book, so I have nothing to hide.” Her latest release is Chamma Chamma (Fraud Saiyan), a remake of the 1998 hit track from China Gate. “I have lots of songs and shows coming up. Wait and watch!” she concludes.
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 "Neha Kakkar")
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