Anu Malik once SLAPPED himself to show disappointment after listening to Neha Kakkar sing: ‘Teri awaaz sun kar lagta hai…’

Singer Neha Kakkar first stepped onto the stage of ‘Indian Idol’ as a bright-eyed contestant, long before she would return as one of its judges. She appeared in the show’s second season but was shown the exit early on.

Back then, she was simply another young dreamer chasing a spotlight, unaware that the same stage would one day celebrate her as one of Bollywood’s most popular voices.

Neha Kakkar’s audition failed to impress judges

Back in the time during her audition for the show, she performed ‘Aisa Lagta Hai’ from ‘Refugee’ alongside a co-contestant. However, the performance failed to hit the right notes for the judges. The panel then featured composer Anu Malik, singer Sonu Nigam and filmmaker Farah Khan. None of them were impressed.

Anu Malik slapped himself after her singing

After listening to Neha’s singing, Anu Malik openly expressed his frustration. He told her, “Neha Kakkar...Teri awaaz sun kar lagta hai main apne mooh par maaroon thappad, yaar! Kya ho gaya hai tere ko (I feel like slapping myself after hearing you perform. What has happened to you?)And to prove his point, he actually slapped himself in front of everyone. The shocking gesture left the atmosphere tense, and Neha’s stunned reaction, with her jaw dropping on stage, said it all.

WATCH the video here

Farah Khan and Sonu Nigam expressed disappointment

It wasn’t only Anu Malik who felt the performance lacked impact. Co-judges Farah Khan and Sonu Nigam also shared their disappointment.

Neha Kakkar’s big break in Bollywood

Years later, Neha finally got her breakthrough with the song ‘Second Hand Jawaani’ from ‘Cocktail’. The lively track gave her the recognition she needed and put her on the map in Bollywood. From there, she slowly but surely made her mark in the music industry.

Hit songs established Neha Kakkar as a star

After her first big break, Neha went on to deliver one hit after another. Her chartbusters include ‘Kaala Chashma’, ‘Dilbar’, ‘Aankh Marey’ and ‘O Saki Saki’. These songs became instant favourites and made her a household name.