📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Bollywood Hungama
Entertainment
Playback singers still viewed as technicians, says Shweta Pandit
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 30 Aug 2026, 01:48 AM
👁 3
Veteran singer Shweta Pandit says the Indian film industry continues to treat playback singers as technical contributors rather than artists.
Shweta Pandit, a seasoned playback singer with a career spanning over two decades, told The Times of India that singers in the film sector are still largely perceived as technicians. She highlighted that despite their role in shaping a film's emotional core, singers rarely receive the artistic recognition afforded to actors or directors.
Pandit pointed out that contracts, remuneration structures, and award categories often reinforce this technical label, limiting singers' creative agency. She urged industry bodies to re‑evaluate how vocal talent is credited and celebrated, arguing that a shift in perception could enhance both morale and the quality of film music.
The comment comes amid ongoing debates about the status of behind‑the‑scenes talent in Bollywood, where many artists are calling for broader acknowledgment of their contributions beyond the screen.
Pandit pointed out that contracts, remuneration structures, and award categories often reinforce this technical label, limiting singers' creative agency. She urged industry bodies to re‑evaluate how vocal talent is credited and celebrated, arguing that a shift in perception could enhance both morale and the quality of film music.
The comment comes amid ongoing debates about the status of behind‑the‑scenes talent in Bollywood, where many artists are calling for broader acknowledgment of their contributions beyond the screen.