Guru Randhawa: Will mentor kids, not judge them

Punjabi hitmaker Guru Randhawa in an interview with mid-day talks about joining the panel of Love Me India and being the "cool guru" on the show

He can well be credited as one of the few artistes who made Punjabi music mainstream. Having firmly established himself in the world of music, Guru Randhawa has now graduated to the small screen — he made his television debut with Love Me India, a live reality singing show for kids. The singer shares the dais with co-judges Himesh Reshammiya and Neha Bhasin.

Not a disciple of tough love, Randhawa says he intends to be the "cool guru" on the show who will mentor the contestants in the best possible way. "All the kids on Love Me India are already singing gurus. Who am I to judge them? All I can do is guide them on stage, help them pick the right number that do justice to their vocal chords. I can't tell them how to sing," says Randhawa, adding that judging a kids' reality show is foreign territory for him.

Earlier this year, singer Papon found himself in the eye of a storm when a video of him allegedly kissing a minor contestant from The Voice India Kids surfaced online. The singer had then defended himself stating that it was "a case of faulty camera angles, and an accidental move". Point out the episode to Randhawa, and he says, "I treat the children like my family. I have been free and frank all my life, and that's how I have been conducting myself on the show. In such cases, sometimes you're in the wrong, other times you are misjudged."

Even though he is Bollywood's favourite hitmaker at the moment, the singer says that making a mark in the industry was never his goal. Not surprisingly then, he refuses to change his music to suit industry tastes. "I won't change my songs for Bollywood. There are so many composers who are doing that already. Bhushan [Kumar] sir and I have struggled so much to encourage independent music in the industry. Other singers like Honey Singh too have lent [the effort] momentum."

Also read: Guru Randhawa one of the most viewed Indian singer on YouTube

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