Vishal Dadlani warns 'newbie singers' who are trying to reach him through powerful contacts: "Don’t do the “sifaarish” thing"

Taking to Instagram, Vishal shared a post directly addressing budding singers and making his stance clear.

• Vishal Dadlani warns singers against using politics to enter Bollywood
• He urges newcomers to trust their talent and avoid recommendations or influence
• Dadlani plans to launch a platform to discover new artists weekly

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Singer-composer Vishal Dadlani has issued a strong and unequivocal warning to aspiring singers in Bollywood, calling out attempts to reach him through political or influential “contacts.” His message comes after a recent incident in which a newcomer reportedly tried to approach him via a political figure, prompting a sharp reaction from the musician on social media.

Taking to Instagram, Vishal shared a post directly addressing budding singers and making his stance clear.

The post read, "Some advice for newbie singers. Don't fuc** get some mantri-ji or his secretary to call me. I have zero respect for people who try to make their way forward through 'contacts. To the chap who just tried it, mantri-ji is now blocked, and so are you. Now, even if you are a great singer, I have no interest in working with you. Sorry."**

In the caption accompanying the post, Vishal urged newcomers to trust their abilities and focus on the long game. He wrote, "Please have faith in your talent, be prepared to work hard and be patient. If you are good, your time will come."

He further added, "Don’t do the “sifaarish” thing. It’s a boring cliche and more than anything, it only shows you to be someone who doesn’t believe their talent is enough."

Through his post, the singer made it clear that attempting to use influence or recommendations is an instant deal-breaker for anyone hoping to collaborate with him. He also emphasised the importance of self-belief, persistence and honest effort in building a music career.

Following the post, a curious social media user asked Vishal about the right way to approach him professionally. Responding to the query, the composer explained, "Just put your music out. If it's good, it will find me. Also, I am in the process of setting up a platform to discover new artists every week."

Also read: Vishal Dadlani on Arijit Singh’s retirement: “life is short, don't waste a moment lying to yourself"

Another user later asked whether Vishal intended to name the aspiring singer involved in the incident. Addressing the question, Dadlani chose to show restraint, replying, "One mistake shouldn't define his career. Hopefully, he will see this, learn his lesson, and do things right when he approaches other people to work with."

Vishal Dadlani, one half of the celebrated music duo Vishal-Shekhar, has composed music for over 60 films, delivering more than 300 songs across his career. As a playback singer, he has recorded over 284 songs in multiple languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Marathi, making him one of the most influential voices in the Indian music industry.