Badshah: Top Of The Pops

Neither criticism nor controversy can shake Badshah’s confidence and commitment

- Shreevatsa Nevatia

On June 9, Badshah (Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia) dropped his new single, ‘Paani Paani’. Like many of his tunes, this was a song you watched before you heard. The video featured a svelte Jacqueline Fernandez. She added an obvious oomph to Badshah’s already peppy number. In just one week, the video had been watched over 65 million times on YouTube. We have, of course, been here before. Last year, Fernandez featured in the video of ‘Genda Phool’. With over 820 million YouTube hits, it is Badshah’s greatest ever hit. Though the songs are different—‘Genda Phool’ sampled a Bengali folk song, while ‘Paani Paani’ employs elements of Rajasthani folk—they adhere to a tested formula. They have that same cocksure attitude.