Indian Idol fame Amit Sana says Bollywood’s ‘big insecurity’ made him feel pressured, admits he didn’t want to sing some songs

Indian Idol season 1 runner-up Amit Sana returns for Legends Return, saying the show offers a chance to show how he has grown.

The reality singing show Indian Idol has returned with a new edition, titled Indian Idol Legends Return. The new edition brings back several contestants from previous editions, including Amit Sana, who was the runner-up of season 1. In a recent interview with Screen, Amit talked about returning to Indian Idol after accusing the show of tampering with his voting lines and also talked about feeling pressured due to Bollywood's toxic culture and distancing himself from the limelight.

Indian Idol fame Amit Sana talks about Bollywood's toxic culture.

Amit Sana talks about Bollywood's toxic culture

Amit Sana said his fans had long wanted him to return to the screen, and Indian Idol felt like the perfect opportunity. He added that the show would reveal how he had grown as a singer and individual since his earlier appearance. He also talked about how reality shows have evolved over the years with social media coming into light.

In an earlier interview, Amit had described the film industry as “fake”, revisiting his comments, the singer said the Bollywood industry had changed significantly when he moved to Mumbai, with music composers such as Pritam and Vishal-Shekhar emerging as the next generation. He described it as a transitional phase but admitted that he did not particularly like the environment in Bollywood at the time.

He added, "I come from a very small place, and I couldn’t adjust to that, to go into those big parties and see people boasting about themselves. I believed them and what they used to say, and later on I came to know that even if nobody is boasting about themselves, you will find 10% in every party boasting about themselves. I found big insecurity in people, because of which they used to say a lot about themselves and always associate with someone who is doing better and try to make them do things which are good for them. So I felt pressured. There were a lot of songs I never wanted to sing. I didn’t like doing those things.”

In a 2024 interview with Siddharth Kannan, Amit claimed that Sony TV had blocked his voting lines during the first season of Indian Idol, contributing to his loss. Revisiting the controversy, he said the issue reflected his family’s feelings at the time and that, after 20 years, it was better to move on. He praised Sony TV for treating him well and making him feel valued during his current stint on the show.

About Indian Idol Legends Return

As per Sony LIV, Indian Idol - Legends Return features a unique two-phase journey. Phase 1 features Himesh Reshammiya as judge and 24 former contestants competing in duets evaluated by peer scores and a secret judge score, forming a winning jodi. This pair becomes mentors in Phase 2, guiding fresh aspirants through auditions alongside the returning judges.