Neha Kakkar and Abhijeet Bhattacharya spark a fresh debate: What's wrong in performing at weddings? Musicians speak up

From international artistes like Rihanna and Beyonce performing at Ambani wedding festivities to Indians singers and music sensations like Diljit Dosanjh, Mika Singh, Shilpa Rao among others, who are often seen crooning at weddings, the debate around the right and wrong in this situation rises time and again. Recently, as a special guest on reality show Superstar Singer, singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya once again sparked a controversy, where he got into a heated argument with judge Neha Kakkar, as he took a jibe at singers who perform at weddings.

The video going viral online shows the former telling a contestant the difference between performing for money or rejecting private assignments, to which Neha responded that no work can be considered big or small, and if someone needs to earn and they have to perform at weddings, there’s absolutely nothing wrong in it.

Check out the video below:

Abhijeet had said, “Koi bhi paisa diya or shaadi mein gaane lage, usme aukaat kam ho jaati hai. Meri aukaat hai, main bol deta hu, main nahi gaunga. Duniya ki koi taakat tumhe khareed nahi sakti. Aap meri baaton ko personally mat lijiye. Farak yehi hai. Mai yahi shiksha hi de raha hu ke 1 crore rupaye mein gaana or 1 crore rupaye ko thukrana, dono mein bohot farq hai, mai bas yehi sikhana chahta hu.”

To this, Neha responded: “Aap apni mehnat ka kamao or mehnat ka toh kaise bhi kamaya jaa sakta hai. Shaadi mein gaana buri baat nahi hai. Jo fans hote hai, woh aapko pasand karte hai, issliye aapko bulate hain. Kaam koi chhota ya bada nahi hota hai. Agar aapko shaadi mein bhi gaana padhe, aap please gaao. Agar aapko respect mil rahi hai, aapko koi pyaar se bula raha hai toh please jao. Shaadi mein gaana koi galat baat nahi hoti hai.”

Weighing in on the subject, here's what musicians have to say:

Singer Udit Narayan feels everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, which they cannot impose on others. "As an artiste, it is not wrong to perform at weddings, but I try to avoid it. There is an audience at weddings as well but I personally like performing at public and ticketed shows, uska nasha hi alag hota hai. Many big singers and other artists also perform at many weddings, it actually depends on one’s personal choice. But if you ask personally, I try to avoid it 99%. If you look at veterans like Lata ji, Asha ji, Kishore da, they have also always avoided wedding shows. Lata ji ko ek time par kitne crores offer hue the five minutes perform karne ke lie, but she didn’t go for it.”

In response to the rift, singer-songwriter Millind Gaba shared an old video of Abhijeet performing at a private function, and stitched it with his comments on the realty show. “Wo Kya Tha …… Jinke Ghar Sheeshe Ke Hon .. Wo Basement Mein Kapde Change Karte Hain ??? Yehi tha na #WhyDadaWhy” Gaba captioned the post.

Check out his Instagram post here:

In agreement with Neha's opinions, several musicians express their viewpoint and assert that there's nothing wrong in performing at weddings.

Stating that he performs almost everywhere whenever he gets a chance, singer-composer Salim Merchant says, "I perform at weddings, colleges, ticketed concerts, mahotsavas, and festivals, I perform everywhere, that’s my take. I think a performing musician should just respect the stage and perform, it doesn’t matter what the audience is. I have even performed at street festivals, it doesn’t make one stoop low or anything. Its about the music and the art form, and not about where or in front of who you are performing.”

Singer Manmeet Singh of Meet Bros questions Abhijeet's statement and maintains that he can't find a logical reason as to why should not perform at weddings. "Nobody on this earth has the right to decide for anybody else. There are two parties involved in a wedding performance, one who is getting married and one who is performing, if two people want each other, how can a third person comment on it? Why is wedding being looked at something that degrades your value? It’s very unfortunate that someone as legendary as Abhijeet is talking like this, I absolutely condemn it. It’s his own choice and he should not force it on other people. Such senior people should be a little more responsible while speaking because some people earn their bread and butter from this, I stand with Neha Kakkar!”

Singer Navraj Hans makes a strong point siding with Neha. “If one is working hard and singing at weddings, birthdays, or any other function, woh unke haq ki kamaayi hai, usse aukaat kaise gir sakti hai? Whichever singer boldly says that we sing at weddings, they are something today because of their own effort, no one has served anything to them on a platter. I sing at weddings all the time. Main toh logon ki mehendi aur baaraat par bhi gaata hoon. I have found work after struggling for 10-12 years, so I value the money and opportunities I get. Ghar baithke kisi ki kamaayi par bolna easy hai. Kya woh (Abhijeet) singers ke liye monthly pension lagwa denge taki hum shaadi par naa gayein?”

Rapper Baba Sehgal, on behalf of the crerative industry, expresses that artistes are supposed to perform irrespective of whether it’s a wedding, stage, or a concert. "If that gives an artist the fame, admiration, applause, love, and money, then why not? There shouldn’t be any debate. If somebody is not getting the right gigs, they always feel that this should not happen. It’s a fair play and an open ground, anyone can do anything. I also do a lot of performances at weddings, I have been doing it since the past 33 years. Koi worth nahi girta hai! Paisa milne mein kya problem hai, paisa milega tabhi toh perform karenge.”