It was in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, where Shah Rukh Khan made a mess of an opera performance, that Indian audiences discovered a comical trope. Then, Aamir Khan made fun of the fat opera singer in Dil Chahta Hai and we haven’t really managed to make amends till date. Unlike the West, opera singing in India has been reduced to the silly cliché of high-pitched singing that leads to a glass shattering. 

It’s surprising then, that the most prestigious competition for operatic singing, Operalia, is being hosted by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai. The only Indian talent to grace the stage will be a baritone, Darwin Prakash. Born and raised in Delhi, Prakash says he is more excited than nervous about being the only Indian participant. He says he first found out that the competition is going to be hosted in Mumbai through an Instagram notification, and was restless till he applied. “I have been studying opera for the last 10 years, and I know there is a shortage of Indian talent in the industry. It’s a niche, there’s not a vast audience.” Prakash had an interest in singing, since he was young—he would sing in the choir at church and school, and later even tried acapella and beat-boxing. He attended free lessons for operatic singing at the Neemrana Foundation in Delhi, where a teacher recognised his talents and raised funds for higher education in music in the UK.