Anu Malik is back as a judge with Season 9 of Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs. Here’s a candid chat with the musician

What made you take up a reality show once again?

Zee TV is a pioneer in nurturing budding singers and giving them an opportunity to live their passion. When we were kids, I remember Antakshari. Then there was Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Dance India Dance, and all these shows had a great format. The best part is I have never judged a singing reality show for kids before.

What do you have to say about the talent this season?

What surprises me is that a 5-year-old child is giving a magical performance. I saw magic unfold in front of me and this magic only happened with the blessings of the Almighty. It is Saraswati Ma’s blessings that these guys have.

You are known for your shayari, elements of fun and humour. Your comment?

At the end of a working day, people get tired. When they come home and switch on their television set, they want to forget their worries and relax. I have got a lot of fan following for my shayari and a little bit of humour but the main part is the talent which comes first.

How has been the shooting experience so far?

We have shot for a few episodes and one thing is that once people start watching this show they will not switch off their television sets. Listening to these kids is divine.

What would be the one advice that you want to give to these kids?

I tell them to keep learning as they have a lot of time right now.

Shankar Mahadevan and Nitin Mohan have joined you as co-judges. What do you have to say about these two?

Anu Malik, Shankar Mahadevan and Neeti Mohan make for a dream team. The amount of fun we are having together is beyond imagination. The bromance between me and Shankar is amazing. I am looking forward to the season.

You have judged several other reality shows as well. What makes Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs different from the rest?

This show franchise has introduced some amazing singers to the music fraternity. I remember a few like Sugandha Date, Shreyan Bhattacharya, Anjali Gaikwad and others. Shreya Ghoshal, who is a top Bollywood singer now, was discovered on this show.

How do reality shows help an aspiring singer?

I feel these kids are blessed. This platform introduces them to the world. They get instant recognition, and this will help them. Thanks to independent music industry today people can now release their own music. Reality shows help these kids to learn and grow.

With decades in the industry now, can you share one fond memory that you will remember lifelong?

When I created a song at the age of seven. There was a Marathi poem called Ye re ye re pausa and I had created a tune similar to that and then I made five different tunes in the next five minutes. My dad was happy.