You’ve judged so many shows, why another one?
I’m very excited about this show because it involves children and I thoroughly enjoy working with them.

How serious are you about judging?
More than judging, this is a way to guide young talent at the right time and to give them the right guidance. Vocal muscles need training at this young age and I love that I’m part of this process in their lives.

But doesn’t this excessive exposure and competition cause more harm than good to the young children?
See, everything has its pros and cons. This is a huge platform for the children and we try to take maximum advantage of its pros and minimise its cons. We counsel the parents a lot since they are the ones who need to guide their children. We talk to the parents after every show and make sure that they don’t pressurise the children too much.

Does being a judge give you the same high as playback singing does?
Singing will always be my first love. While I enjoy judging I can’t say it gives me a high. It’s actually a very tough job. I have to sit there and be absolutely impartial and since there are children concerned, it just makes the job tougher.

What do you think of the new generation of singers?
There are so many new voices now. It’s the age of |experimentation, but this also means that the survival power of each singer is less. It’s the survival of the fittest. Even if you are on the top today it’s extremely easy to be at the bottom tomorrow because there are too many new people.

... contd.