Popular playback singer Kanika Kapoor, best known for chart-topping hits like ‘Baby Doll’ and ‘Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan’, has made a startling revelation about the pay scale of singers in the Indian music industry. Speaking on Uorfi Javed’s chat show Bunkk with Uorfi, the singer opened up about the financial struggles faced by vocalists behind some of Bollywood’s biggest tracks.
In a conversation that’s now grabbing headlines, Uorfi questioned Kanika about rumours surrounding one of her viral songs for which she allegedly wasn’t paid. Kanika confirmed the speculation, saying, “Singers don’t really get paid. I can show you the contract, I was paid Rs 101. They say they’re doing you a favour.”
Without naming anyone, Kanika went on to claim that even some of India’s most legendary vocalists aren’t fairly compensated: “I could talk to you about the greatest singer in India. I don’t think even he is paid for most of his iconic songs, nor does he have publishing rights or a royalty structure. There’s nothing like that in India today.”
When asked how singers manage to earn a living, Kanika explained that live performances are their primary income stream. “As long as your voice works, and you can perform, you’ll keep earning. “But if something happens to you – there’s no pension plan for singers,” she added.
Though she admitted she hasn’t seen everyone’s contracts, Kanika maintained that receiving a token sum of Rs 101 is standard practice for singers across the industry.
Kanika shot to fame with her breakout song ‘Baby Doll’ from ‘Ragini MMS 2’, which became an overnight sensation. She quickly cemented her place in Bollywood with a string of hits, including Lovely ‘Happy New Year’, Desi Look ‘Ek Paheli Leela’, and Beat Pe Booty ‘A Flying Jatt’.
Most recently, she lent her voice to ‘Gori Hai Kalaiyan’ from the film ‘Mere Husband Ki Biwi’, featuring Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Rakul Preet Singh. The track, which has been well-received by audiences, was writtenby IP Singh, composed by Akshay and IP, and features a rap by Badshah.
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