Bigg Boss 14: Contestant Rahul Vaidya says there's favouritism in Bollywood music industry

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Singer Rahul Vaidya, one of the contestants on the new season of the reality show "Bigg Boss", says it takes more than just talent to make a mark in the Hindi music industry. The 33-year-old singer is best known to the audience as the second runner-up in the first season of the singing reality show, "Indian Idol". His discography includes an album titled "Tera Intezaar" and an unplugged version of the song, "Beintehaan" from the film "Race 2".

According to Vaidya, most of the singers active in films today have served as assistants to music directors or have been associated with music labels.cLike Arijit Singh would assist Pritam, Armaan Malik is brother of music director Amaal Mallik, and singer Jubin Nautiyal is attached with the label T-Series, he said.

"There are a lot of reasons for a singer to get a film song. It doesn't only require talent, there are a lot of other things. There is favouritism, preference, you can call it lobbying also, there are camps in Bollywood (music industry)," the singer told PTI in an interview before entering the Colors reality show.

Vaidya said he was offered "Bigg Boss" several times in the past but he couldn't say yes because the year-end, the months during which the show is shot, tends to be a busy time for performers due to events.

Owing to the coronavirus pandemic as all outdoor events remain cancelled, the singer said this was the right time to take the plunge. Vaidya said he is both charged up and a little nervous about featuring on the show.

"The nervousness is about an experience which I have never experienced before. 'Bigg Boss' is not like any other reality show, you don't know how comfortable you will be with it.

"I want to show to the world my other facets of life. I hope to become a better-known person after 'Bigg Boss'."

Vaidya said he will express his emotions through songs inside the "Bigg Boss" house.

The singer believes the perception that only playback singers tend to become successful isn't true. In today's time, he said, a lot of independent singers who don't lend their voice to film songs are more in demand.

Vaidya, who also has a YouTube channel, said he has never lobbied towards getting a song in Bollywood.

"I have always believed in being my own representative. Every year I have four singles, I have created my own music and YouTube channels, which has millions of views. Whatever small (niche) I have created is my own without any support of the music fraternity," he said.

Actor couple Rubina Dilaik and Abhinav Shukla, actors Eijaz Khan, Jasmin Bhasin, Nishant Singh Malkhani, Pavitra Punia, singer Jaan Kumar, son of veteran singer Kumar Sanu, model Shehzad Deol, singer-model Sara Gurpal and south actor Nikki Tamboli are also part of "Bigg Boss" season 14.

The show, hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, started airing from Saturday night.