“Indian Idol really is a platform for the best of the best; it makes me feel that the future of music in India is in really good hands”, says ‘Indian Idol Season 14’ Judge Vishal Dadlani

"Ek Awaaz, Laakhon Ehsaas," the captivating theme of Indian Idol Season 14, puts the spotlight on magical voices that have the profound potential to evoke a wide range of emotions in the heart of the viewer. This season will see Bollywood’s King of Melody, Kumar Sanu, National Award winner Shreya Ghoshal and ace composer, singer, and performer - Vishal Dadlani form the judges’ panel. Vishal Dadlani has reprised his role as a judge for the 5th time on this fan favorite format and in a candid chat, he shares his approach as a judge and the key qualities he will look out for while judging talent.
 

Tell us about your association with Indian Idol.
This will be my fifth season judging Indian Idol in a row, which is remarkable and I’m glad that the makers still want me here. I’m still excited by the prospect of judging aspirants who come to this show. Indian Idol really is a platform for the best of the best. We have talent at a level which always surprises me, excites me, and makes me feel that the future of music in India is in really good hands.
 

What kind of talent can the audience expect this year? Anything that is different this season?
There’s a lot that’s different. Primarily, I think the inclusion of Shreya Ghoshal and Kumar Sanu Da as judges is something that has really inspired a lot of people to show up and be part of this season, because they are both such prolific singers. They’ve left indelible marks on Indian music and on the musicality of most Indians, actually. So, when you get to perform in front of people who have been your inspiration and who have been your gateway to music, your introduction to music, it’s a huge opportunity for any contestant. So, this year, people have really been drawn by the presence of these two wonderful judges that we’ve added to the panel and, of course, by the everlasting glow of the Indian Idol stage.
 

About your bonding on and off screen with Shreya Ghoshal and Kumar Sanu. 
So, Sanu Da and I don’t know each other very well off-screen and on-screen. We’ve known each other, of course, for a long time, as we are colleagues. We even worked together in Shabd and Musafir, way back in 2004. But we've always stayed in touch, and he's come so many times to Indian Idol as a guest judge. We've always had an opportunity to renew our acquaintance and our friendship there, which has always been a lot of fun. For 40 years, he has been the resounding voice of Indian film music and it's always a pleasure to meet him and talk to him about that. As far as Shreya is concerned, I love Shreya with all my heart. She is not just one of the world's finest vocalists, but also one of the most beautiful human beings that I know. She’s amazing, she’s hilarious, she’s lovely and my God, what a musician she is. As a composer, I have limitless admiration for her. She can take any song to an unimaginable level. She’s a magician and absolutely a very true person.
 

What points do you keep in mind before judging a contestant?
The first and most important thing is, I need to feel the performance. It needs to hit me in the best way possible. All the technicalities are there - pitch, time, tone, all of that is important. But the most important thing in any performance is whether you can communicate the emotion of the song to the listener. So, when I listen to a song as a judge, first I become a listener. I shed all the elements of being a composer and I'm just a simple listener who loves music. And if you can connect with that aspect of me, then everything else is a discussion. But the first thing I need is for you to be able to deliver the song to me.
 

How do you see your musical journey?
I’ve had nothing but fun; we were just calculating, it's been 23 or 24 years of just fun, working with a very dear friend and with various other very, very dear friends - whether they are directors, singers, or lyricists. All of us have worked in a spirit of collaboration and I would like to believe that we have reached out and touched some people who listen to our songs; that means the world to me.