The debate around the authenticity of singing reality shows has resurfaced, this time after Neha Kakkar appeared to take a swipe at Sunidhi Chauhan over her criticism of the format. Sunidhi has previously spoken about why she chose to distance herself from reality television, citing concerns over scripting, editing and the use of Auto-Tune. Neha, however, has defended singing reality shows and suggested that the criticism comes from those who are no longer part of them. Her remarks have since triggered a backlash online, with several social media users describing them as “disrespectful”.At the launch of I-POPSTAR Volume 2, Neha was asked by the media whether singing reality shows had lost their popularity following criticism from singers such as Sunidhi, who have alleged that the shows can be fake and scripted. Responding to the question, Neha said, “The fame declined because I stopped doing it. The TRPs were at their highest as long as I was doing it.”She then appeared to directly address Sunidhi’s comments, saying, “Sorry, but I would like to say, ‘angoor naa mile toh angoor khate 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. Of course, we all come from a humble background, and if I get emotional listening to someone’s story, so it’s natural.”The remarks quickly made their way across social media, where reactions were divided but several users criticised Neha for taking the apparent dig at Sunidhi. One user wrote, “Want this level of delusion.” Another said, “this is so disrespectful. The Kakkar family cannot sing a song even in a studio and Sunidhi delivers the best live concerts in India.” A third user simply reacted, “The audacity!”Sunidhi, meanwhile, has been candid about her reasons for leaving singing reality shows. In a recent conversation with Shekhar Suman, she explained that she had spent considerable time on such programmes before deciding that the format was no longer right for her. 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.”She went on to explain why the use of the technology bothered her in a reality-show setting. “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.”This isn’t the first time Sunidhi has raised questions about the way singing reality shows are produced. In a 2024 conversation with Raj Shamani, she recalled how Indian Idol was different during its early years, when she felt there was little emphasis on manufactured drama. According to her, the format gradually changed, with television increasingly relying on editing and manipulation to shape how contestants are presented.Sunidhi also pointed out that such editing can make eliminations confusing for viewers. A contestant may appear to have delivered a strong performance in one episode, only to be eliminated in the next, leaving audiences wondering what went wrong.She further recalled being asked by the show’s makers to support or promote a particular contestant irrespective of how they had actually performed — something she described as one of the most shocking and disturbing aspects of the experience.Amid the renewed debate, Neha is now preparing for the second season of I-POPSTAR. She will serve as a mentor alongside Aditya Rikhari and KING, with Wicked Sunny (Vikalp Dwivedi) hosting the show. I-POPSTAR Volume 2 will stream on Amazon MX Player, though the makers are yet to announce its premiere date.