Kunal Ganjawala shot into limelight with his popular jingle Doodh Doodh Doodh and then happened playback singing. His song Bheege Honth Tere from Murder made him an instant hit overnight. His songs in Saathiya, Khakee, Lakshya, Naach, Dhoom, Saaya set record sales soaring.

Married to actress-singer Gayatri Iyer, the couple recently made a rare TV appearance together on the Grand Finale of Star Voice of India. He is presently judging Star’s Voice of India- Chhote Ustad.

Kunal in an exclusive interview comes clean on his stint with Voice of India-Chhote Ustad, his wife Gayatri and the credibility of reality shows.

What is the reason you agreed to do Chhote Ustad? What about your singing career?
See I will never stop singing songs because that is what I do. I am hosting this musical show as a musical personality. I am not being someone else. I am being Kunal Ganjawala.

Pic by MITESH BHUVAD

What about singing for television serials?
Oh! I have already done so many. It’s part of my job. I don’t associate myself with every serial. First of all they will not be able to afford us and if they can we would love to. I have already sung for Balaji Telefilms, BAG Films and also for lot of other people who want me to sing for them and who understand the difference in the quality.

How about participating in music based reality shows?
I was offered but I did not want to take it up. I do not understand that concept. That’s mainly because I am an established singer and I am doing very well. I have got so many films. I do not want to be competing. I am not open to anybody’s decision. I am working for the biggest directors like Yash ji and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. My life is not a competition. We have already established ourselves. So one has to realise that if you have been a successful playback singer and you are good at it, then why should you be open to judging from the public. They have already voted for you as a singer, that’s why you are here singing for the films. But that’s an individual opinion. Everybody is free to do what they want and I did not want to take it up.

Do you watch any reality shows on television?
I am busy with my own music career. We do watch TV. I don’t watch too many reality shows. I did watch the initial episodes of reality shows when they have just begun. None of the new ones. But soon I became sick of it. An actor can do best in the field of acting; he/she would dance only for the fun of it. Similarly a comedian can do comedy and a singer can sing. Everyone has to fit the bill. It’s ok if you have the voting system for something like the biggest loser as its just entertainment but this is about talent. I did not want to be associated with any talent show that makes a fool of talent.

Why don’t you consider the idea of hosting a show?
All of them have been asking me to host various shows but I have not taken them up. I would want to be associated with shows who are contributing towards talent. I am not interested in them for the sake of being on TV. It is because I am very happy with my singing career and also I don’t have the time. I don’t want to come here to appear cool. My songs are cool enough.

Then why did you agree to do this show? How it is different from other music based reality shows?
See, I agreed to do this show only when the rules were changed. I do not want the power to lie to the audience because they may make a wrong choice out of favouritism. If one is doing such a show then they should better call him the most popular singer and not the most talented singer. In our show if a worthy participant is voted out we have the power to bring him/her in as many times as we want.

You do not talk much about your wife. We don’t even see you both making appearances together.
Gayatri is an immensely talented person and we both live individual lives, but when we are home we are husband and wife. We do not want to unnecessarily paired off as a couple. Musically and statistically we come from very different zones. She is the only Indian actress who has performed in London on a Broadway stage. I admire her for that and it’s a conscious effort not to be paired because we don’t want to be branded as a pair. Well we did Voice of India because the occasion was such that there were just two participants left. Gajendrra ji is very fond of her. Earlier also he wanted her to become the host of Antakshari that too in the very first or second year of the show. But she couldn’t take it as she was in college then.

So tell us about something that you guys are doing together?
That’s under wraps. But definitely there have been things offered to us. We have sung a lot of songs together. We are planning to sing a song for a Yash Raj film. We are not very pushy. We both are very confident and secure. So there is no point in pushing her all the time and her pushing me. If you ask me about her I will talk about her.

Then please talk about her.
She is one of the most talented singers and actor. I think India is not ready for her. She is so cool that it would take a while to accept her. She had done so much abroad but being an Indian she wanted to arrive here. She has learned Indian classical and Karnataka music and is also comfortable with the western style. She has sung songs like Pyaar ki ek kahani suno from Honeymoon Travels, Salaam Namaste, Black. Now she is composing her own album and yes I am doing one song.

Why not host a show with her as a couple?
Lots of TV shows have been offered to us. If something comes up on our terms we will do it. We don’t want to be a part of a show that doesn’t appeal to us aesthetically. The content of the show should make us look good.

What do you think of television and its growing impact? What attracts singers to television? Is it the moolah?
It’s not just about money. When some music director calls me saying that he is preparing the track of a serial and wants me to sing, I do that. Television is another medium. When I was growing I used to watch Chitrahaar, Saptahiki, Phool Khile Hai Gulshan Gulshan. TV has a very special place in our hearts and now with increasing number of channels its reach is amazing.