First of all I guess I'm the first post on this subreddit. I really love some Bollywood songs more than the movies sometimes so I can't wait for this sub to grow!

As a classical music student (Carnatic), this is indeed a question I keep asking myself : What are the pros and cons of being a playback singer with a classical music background?

For me, one pro would be that your voice is well seasoned and sounds trained. Hearing a voice that knows what it's doing and is more substance than style is very pleasing to the ears, more than a voice that is more style than substance.

Another pro is that Indian classical music is just so all-encompassing that by training in it, you can k almost everything. You want to do RnB-style runs? If you know how to do gamakas, you're safe. Want to hold a high note? If you're trained in taarasthaayi well, you shouldn't have problems (unless the song is unnaturally high some Shreya Ghoshal songs...). The music director wants you to lower the pitch? Done, boss. We have perfect swarasthaana in this house.

But one con that I can think of is that classical music really permeates your way of singing so much that your voice doesn't know how to evolve and mature. Bollywood not only takes influences from Indian music but also western music genres, such as RnB, pop, rock, disco etc., where a different vocal technique is required than in classical music. One might have to learn how to belt and do abdominal breathing, or have to learn how to not sound refined and neat. So, these kind of singers are only called for songs that suit their training and vocal methods and don't really get to show a new side of their voice.

What do you guys think?