Veteran playback singer Udit Narayan has addressed the uproar surrounding a viral video in which he was seen kissing a female fan on the lips.
“What is wrong in it,” he asked ETimes in a candid conversation defending the incident as an expression of admiration from his fan.
Dismissing the controversy surrounding the video that went viral online on Saturday, Narayan said, “It is about the craze.” Linking it to his music legacy, he explained, “I have been singing for 45 years, providing playback for top stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and Sunny Deol. This is an indication of the popularity.”
Narayan further explained what happened on-stage and said, it was “not new” and claimed, “Fans love (it) and this is a matter of happiness.” Likening this interaction with global pop stars, he said, “Big singers like Michael Jackson also hug and kiss fans. What is there to make a big thing?”
Far from seeing the backlash as damaging, Narayan believes the episode has only strengthened his career. “I see this as a matter of pride. This has only boosted my career,” he added confidently.
The Veteran singer stirred controversy after an undated video of him kissing a female fan on the lips while taking a selfie during his performance started doing the rounds on social media. In the video, believed to be from his concert held a few months ago, Narayan was seen performing the iconic track “Tip Tip Barsa Paani” picturised on Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon, when a female fan taking a selfie with him, turned around and kissed his cheek. In turn, the singer kissed her back on the lips.