The backlash over Jasleen Royal’s performance during Coldplay’s Mumbai concert quickly spread. Amid this criticism, Indian Idol 5 winner Sreerama Chandra has stood up for her.
Sreerama Chandra is a playback singer known for hits like Subhanallah from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Every artist dreams of the opportunity to perform for a massive audience and few chances are as grand as sharing the stage with an iconic band like Coldplay. When singer Jasleen Royal was chosen to open Coldplay’s Mumbai concert, not everyone was on board with the decision. The backlash over her performance quickly spread, leading many to criticise her for not meeting expectations. But amid this criticism, Indian Idol 5 winner Sreerama Chandra stood up for her, offering a powerful defence of her right to perform and the challenges artists face when they step into such a high-pressure spotlight.
Chandra, a celebrated playback singer known for hits like Subhanallah from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, weighed in on the situation in a conversation with ANI. He made it clear that while people are entitled to their opinions, trolling an artist who’s simply doing her job is unjust. “I am very happy for Jasleen that she got an opportunity like this and secondly, it was a job that was offered to her. No matter what, if you’re a successful artist and people are streaming your songs on platforms like Spotify, it means you’re loved,” he shared. “So, it’s unfair for the same people who support her to criticise her performance for not meeting expectations. She was chosen for a reason and she did her best. Whether people like her or not, that’s their personal choice,” the singer added.
Sreerama, who has a long-standing career in Telugu cinema, Bollywood and television, pointed out that it’s not every day that an artist gets to perform with one of the world’s biggest bands. He explained that Coldplay likely had solid reasons for choosing Jasleen as their opening act. “Coldplay has the numbers and the statistics on who the best artists are and they wouldn’t have picked her if she didn’t fit the bill. She is a popular independent artist and Coldplay, being an independent band, would definitely support an artist like her,” Chandra explained.
As someone who has seen both sides of the entertainment industry, including his stint as the host of Telugu Indian Idol and as a Bigg Boss Telugu 5 finalist, Sreerama emphasised that independent music is still gaining traction in India. While Bollywood hits dominate the airwaves, Jasleen’s success in the independent scene speaks for itself. “I think it doesn’t matter if people like her or not because it was ultimately Coldplay’s choice to take her,” Chandra said.
Jasleen herself had a remarkable moment at Coldplay’s concert on January 18, held at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. She kicked off the evening with a soulful performance of her hit song Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, drawing the audience in with her emotive voice. Later, she joined Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin for a heartfelt duet of We Pray, a track from the band’s latest album Moon Music.
Jasleen shared the magic of the evening on Instagram, posting videos from her rehearsals and performance. Dressed in a glamorous black outfit with smoky makeup and wavy hair, she played the piano and sang as the crowd cheered her on. In a heartfelt post, she wrote, “Thank you Mumbai, I love you.”
The night was full of surprises, including Chris Martin’s fun interactions with the crowd. He read signs held by fans, said “Shukriya” and even shouted “Jai Shri Ram” to loud applause.
