On a song: Shaan

The charismatic and versatile soloist Shaan is back on television hosting the second season of the popular music-based reality show Voice of India (VOI) starting today on Star Plus. In a freewheeling chat, the singer talks about his new stint, the burgeoning number of music shows and maintaining a low profile as a playback singer. Read on...

What's new about the current season of Voice of India?
The format of the show has undergone certain changes that have been introduced considering the popularity of the debut version. Last time,  post auditions, we had picked up the contestants on a random basis while this time we have selected one participant from each of the 24 states. So in a way, each of them is already a winner. Get ready to witness a tougher rivalry!

The mentors, too, have changed...
Yes, this time we have singer Sukhwinder Singh, music director Monty Sharma and Ismail Darbar as our judges/mentors. Each of them has a terrific understanding of music and is a genius. Moreover, they have done their best to preserve the sanctity of music.

What according to you sets VOI apart?
Being a musical reality show, our entire focus is to encourage good music rather than sensationalising the show with judges squabbling or participants walking off... know what I mean? The effort is more towards music than the 'reality element' and that's what differentiates it from a typical reality show like Bigg Boss. We want this show to be free from unnecessary controversies.

Something like what happened to the young contestant Shinjini Sengupta?
To a great extent yes. The judges need to understand that reality shows examine the talent and hence the comments should be directed 'only' towards the performance and not on the contestant's personal front.

You have always been popular amongst the contestants.
(Laughs) They treat me like an  elder brother and respect me as a senior. On my part, I try to guide them and make them as  comfortable as I can.

You began as a host on
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on Zee TV, which now has Aditya Narayan donning the role. Your take.
Aditya has his own distinct approach and is good at it. As a host he has matured a lot.

Of late, we have been hearing less of you, at least on the playback front.
To be honest, at this stage of my career I am not in a hurry to increase the count of my songs because I have proved my mettle. Moreover, I have recently recorded for Aziz Mirza's Kismat Konnection and and Barjatyas' Ek Vivaah.

Any dope on your new album?
I have recorded few numbers for my new album, which will be released at the end of the year. For every track, I have set certain standards and I am making sure that they do not fall short. It has to be nothing less than 'the best'.