‘Angoor na mile toh khate hain’: Neha Kakkar takes a dig at Sunidhi Chauhan for calling singing reality shows ‘scripted’ | Hindustan Times

The debate over how ‘real’ singing reality shows are has taken another turn, with Neha Kakkar taking a pointed dig at Sunidhi Chauhan. While Sunidhi has previously spoken about stepping away from reality shows over concerns about scripting and the use of Auto-Tune, Neha has now defended the format and questioned such criticism. Her comments, however, have not gone down well with several people online, with some calling them "disrespectful".Neha Kakkar reacts to Sunidhi Chauhan's comments about reality showsDuring the launch of I-POPSTAR Volume 2, Neha interacted with the media. When she was asked whether the popularity of singing reality shows had declined because singers such as Sunidhi Chauhan have accused them of being fake and scripted, Neha replied, "The fame declined because I stopped doing it. The TRPs were at their highest as long as I was doing it." She further took a dig at Sunidhi and said, "Sorry, but I would like to say, 'angoor naa mile toh angoor khate hain' log aisa bolte hain toh waisa hi hai. Angoor jisko nahi milte usko khatte hi lagte hain. Yeh show bilkul scripted nahi hai (When someone cannot get what they want, they tend to convince themselves that it wasn’t worth having anyway. This show is not at all scripted). People's lives are never scripted. Of course, we all come from a humble background, and if I get emotional listening to someone's story, so it's natural."Internet reacts to Neha Kakkar's commentsNeha's comments sparked a mixed reaction online, with some users criticising her response. One comment read, "Want this level of delusion." Another commented, "this is so disrespectful. The Kakkar family cannot sing a song even in a studio and Sunidhi delivers the best live concerts in India." Another comment read, "The audacity!"What did Sunidhi Chauhan say?In a recent conversation with Shekhar Suman, Sunidhi revealed that she is not comfortable with how some reality shows operate nowadays. She said, "I was a part of it for a very long time, but then I decided to stop because I felt it wasn't the right place for me. I couldn't continue with it. It's a very sad thing because earlier, people used Auto-Tune only to create a particular sound or effect in songs. It was done to give the music a certain style and make it sound better.”“You can't do that in a reality show, where you are supposed to be all real and honest. When that started happening in reality shows, I felt things were going in a direction I couldn't accept. That's when I chose to step away, and I'm much happier.” In 2024, Sunidhi had also spoken about how reality shows had become scripted and fake. Speaking to Raj Shamani, she said that there was no drama on Indian Idol in its early days, but things gradually changed. She also noted that everything on television is now edited and manipulated, as showmakers aim to present every singer in a positive light. According to Sunidhi, this can leave viewers confused when a contestant who appeared to perform well is eliminated in the following episode.Sunidhi also revealed that one of the most shocking and disturbing aspects for her was being asked by the makers to promote a specific contestant regardless of their performance.Neha Kakkar on I-POPSTAR Volume 2Meanwhile, Neha is gearing up for I-POPSTAR Volume 2. She joins fellow mentors Aditya Rikhari and KING, as well as host Wicked Sunny (Vikalp Dwivedi). The show will premiere on Amazon MX Player, although its release date has not yet been announced.