Alisha Chinai explains why she walked away from Bollywood playback singing

Alisha Chinai has explained why she walked away from Bollywood playback singing, saying she was unhappy with how playback singers were treated by record labels and that she wanted greater artistic gratification. In a conversation with Komal Nahta, Chinai discusses stepping back after a career that featured hits such as Made In India and Kajra Re.

Chinai recalls that she was fearless about making the move: “No. I am fearless. When you want to do something, you just do it. I was true to myself and my conviction. Agar mujhe nahin gaana hai, toh mujhe nahin gaana hai. I felt I wanted to go away from here. Of course, I was upset with the whole situation with all the labels and everything.”

She added that there was little gratification in being seen primarily as a playback voice. “I was not getting gratification as an artiste. I am not just a playback singer. I need gratification as an artist. I felt playback singers were treated badly. They were relegated to the position behind. Actually, it’s the voice that makes the song a hit, quite honestly. Essentially, I am still the star of my song. But that’s the way it worked in those days. And I was a bit defiant and cheeky. I was not politically correct.”

When asked whether she considered the risk, Chinai said she did not — she simply said, “No. I just said, ‘That’s it. I have had enough’.” She noted that music composers did contact her about a return, but she stood by her decision. “Yes, though I don’t remember who all called me. But I just told them, ‘I don’t want to work’.” She added that the intense schedule after Made In India left little room for Bollywood playback work: “Actually, what also happened was that since ‘Made In India’ was such a big hit, I had no time to sing in Bollywood. I was on tour all the time. The next 5 years after ‘Made In India’, I spent doing so many shows. There, I was a star. Here, I was just a playback singer. The shows were doing fabulously well. I became a star in my own right. And it continues to be a classic.”

The interview has been referenced in Bollywood Hungama’s coverage of Chinai’s decision to step back from playback singing. the original report.

Chinai’s decision to step back, citing insufficient artistic gratification and perceived mistreatment of playback singers by labels, underscores a broader tension in Bollywood between creative autonomy and the playback tradition. For more DPIFF entertainment coverage, more entertainment news from DPIFF.