You haven’t been on the Indian music scene for long. Where were you all these years?
I was in US for many years because of certain family commitments. And I was also waiting for the right backing to release my music videos.

After being a part of the Indian music industry for so many years, what prompted you to take up acting on television?
I have always been a part of television. I started my career by hosting a show called Superhit Muqabla on Doordarshan. After I came back from the US, I did two reality shows Dhoom Macha De and Bigg Boss. But in terms of a daily soap, this was my first one. Now I can say I have done everything on television.

Describe your role in Jugni Chali Jalandhar.
I play Balwinder, who is the eldest of the four sons in the family. The concept of the show is to find ideal bahus, who are beautiful, disciplined and uneducated. The serial has a social message in it, whereby it talks about the importance of education for women.

Is the character similar to your real-life personality?
The character is very similar to me. I play a Punjabi who is a happy-go-lucky person. He is a jovial person who leads life on his merit.

Have you exhibited your singing talent on the show?
There is no deliberate attempt to exhibit my talent. But I am doing a bit of rapping in the show. Few of my dialogues in the soap have to be rapped.

Since rapping was an unconventional choice, was it tough for you to establish yourself initially?
I was lucky in terms of the backing I got from music companies and the support I got from the listeners. I was hailed as the King of Rap then. But then you have to consistently keep delivering hits. When you disappear from the scene people tend to forget you. To come back after a break is always difficult and it is similar in my case.

What do you think of the rap scene in India today?
Bollywood music is dominating the music scene today. There is too much piracy in the market which has reduced the sales of music CDs. Radio stations too do not encourage pop music, they play only popular numbers. It is not just the youngsters but even the established who are finding it difficult to sustain the rap scene in India.

Any upcoming projects?
After a long time, my music album will be releasing next month. The album is called Apni Life Ki Gaddi Ko Dakka Maar. There are 10 songs in this album. Also, I am doing a lot of playback for Telugu and Tamil films. I am a recognised voice down South. Recently I recorded a song for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for an upcoming film. Besides, if I get meaty roles I will not hesitate to act in films.