Jonita Gandhi opens up about being rejected from reality show, recalls ‘nerve-wracking’ audition

Singer Jonita Gandhi, who is known for songs such as the Chennai Express title track, The Breakup Song, Dil Ka Telephone and Sau Tarah Ke, was once rejected from a reality show. She revealed that she auditioned for Canadian Idol but was not selected.

In an interview with radio host Siddharth Kannan, Jonita talked about being rejected from Canadian Idol and the toll it took on her. “Confidence pe definitely hurt karta hai. Jab main gayi thi Canadian Idol ka audition dene (It definitely hurts your confidence. When I went for the Canadian Idol audition), it was very nerve-wracking because you are putting yourself out there, obviously. On all of these shows, people are really vulnerable. They are just trying their best aur jab reaction itna positive nahi milta toh (and when the reaction is not positive) obviously you feel a little hurt.”

Jonita said that it is great if reality show aspirants are able to get feedback from the judges about why they could not go ahead. “Then you feel less bad because you feel like kuch toh main karke wapas aa sakti hoon (I can work on myself and come back). But if people just say no… Like Simon Cowell on American Idol, how rude he was sometimes… He would just be like, ‘This is not good, don’t quit your day job, don’t try to be a singer.’ Luckily, I have not encountered anyone like that in my life,” she said.

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Although Jonita’s discography is dominated by Hindi and Tamil numbers, she has also sung in English and Punjabi. She has balanced playback singing with her independent music.

“I don’t want to have a label. I just want to do everything. My music, my voice, my talent, my vision, it transcends all of those boxes. That’s why I try my best to try any language, I try to think in all the different genres, and I try to collaborate with people from around the world and different parts of India,” Jonita told Hindustan Times.