Competition doesn't scare Akriti Kakkar, in fact it keeps her going and growing. The only thing that scares thisu00a0 trained Hindustani classical singer is criticism from her 14-year-old twin sisters. "Sukriti and Prakriti are always brutally honest," she says. After hits like Aanan Faanan from Namastey London, Johnny Gaddar, and Move Your Body Now from Kismat Konnection,

Akriti is now gearing up for the launch of her namesake album tomorrow. She talks to CS:


WHO: Akriti Kakkar
WHAT: Talking about her music

On a high note
This album showcases me as a singer and an artist. I haven't restricted myself to one particular genre; each song is different from the other. There's also a Punjabi song that I've sung as a tribute to Noor Jahanji. The songs are as live as possible, there's no processing or technical touch to them. I've composed four songs, while Shankarji (Mahadevan) has composed two. In fact, he's the one who encouraged me to compose my own numbers. I was so scared at the start to show him my work, but he loved it.

Reality bytes
Since the age of five I've been singing and I love performing live. But even today, I get butterflies in my stomach before going on stage. Presenting your art in front of real audiences in real time gives you an absolute high. I love singing filmi songs; that's where my bread and butter is coming from, but I want to show the world what I'm capable of. I purposely didn't go the reality TV way.

Facing the competition
With the reality brigade and so many gigs by individuals, there's so much competition that you never know who'll come out stronger. Four years back when I came to Mumbai, the competition wasn't this stiff. But today I'm in the race with the legends as well as those who are not even a song old. It makes me feel responsible towards my singing and I realise that opportunities don't come your way everyday, so I take them up with lot of zest. I wake up to new challenges every morning and they make me perform better.