'So Disrespectful, Delusional': Neha Kakkar Faces Backlash After Taking A Dig At Sunidhi Chauhan Over 'Scripted' Singing Reality Shows

Singer Neha Kakkar has landed in the middle of a social media debate after her recent comments on singing reality shows were seen as a dig at Sunidhi Chauhan. Neha defended the format and rejected claims that such shows are scripted, but her remarks did not go down well with several people online. The controversy began when Neha was asked about the declining popularity of singing reality shows and whether criticism from singers such as Sunidhi had affected their credibility.

Neha Kakkar defends reality shows

During the launch of I-POPSTAR Volume 2, Neha interacted with the media and was asked about Sunidhi’s comments on reality shows. Responding to the question, she said, "The fame declined because I stopped doing it. The TRPs were at their highest as long as I was doing it."

Neha then appeared to take a swipe at Sunidhi while explaining why she disagrees with the criticism surrounding reality shows.

She said, "Sorry, but I would like to say, 'Angoor naa mile toh angoor khatte hain' log aisa bolte hain toh waisa hi hai. Angoor jisko nahi milte usko khatte hi lagte hain. Yeh show bilkul scripted nahi hai (When someone cannot get what they want, they tend to convince themselves that it wasn’t worth having anyway. This show is not at all scripted). People's lives are never scripted."

Neha Kakkar gets trolled online

Soon after the comments surfaced online, Neha faced criticism from several social media users. Some described her remarks as “disrespectful”, while others called the singer “delusional”.

"This level of delusion is just what I need," a comment under a Reddit post read. Another user wrote, "There's nobody like Sunidhi her vocal range is mind boggling, idk wht neha is high on."

"This is so disrespectful on her part. This kakkar khandan cannot even sing a song in a studio let alone anything else. Meanwhile sunidhi delivers one of the best live concerts in India. I attended one and I will never shut up about it," wrote another user.

"I need this confidence in my life. Rakhi Sawant confidence and now Neha's confidence in this clip," a fourth comment read.

Here's how others reacted:

What did Sunidhi Chauhan say about reality shows?

Sunidhi has previously been vocal about her concerns regarding the format of reality shows. In a conversation with Shekhar Suman, she explained why she chose to step away from them.

She said, "I was a part of it for a very long time, but then I decided to stop because I felt it wasn't the right place for me. I couldn't continue with it. It's a very sad thing because earlier, people used Auto-Tune only to create a particular sound or effect in songs. It was done to give the music a certain style and make it sound better.”

“You can't do that in a reality show, where you are supposed to be all real and honest. When that started happening in reality shows, I felt things were going in a direction I couldn't accept. That's when I chose to step away, and I'm much happier,” she added.

Sunidhi had also spoken about the subject in 2024 during her conversation with Raj Shamani. She said that the early seasons of Indian Idol did not have the kind of drama associated with reality television today. According to the singer, the format gradually changed, with editing and manipulation becoming more common to present contestants in a particular way.

She also spoke about situations where a contestant could appear to have performed well in one episode but still be eliminated in the next, leaving viewers confused. Sunidhi further recalled being asked by the makers to promote a particular contestant irrespective of their performance, describing it as one of the most shocking and disturbing aspects of her experience.