In an exclusive conversation with The Movie Mail, celebrated singer-composer B Praak opens up about his latest song – Mahakaal, produced under his music label Kripa Records and penned by Jaani. In the quick conversation, he also addresses the ongoing controversy surrounding podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia (Beer Biceps) who’s facing heat from the netizens following his appearance on Samay Raina’s much talked about YouTube show – India’s Got Latent, sharing his perspective on the issue.
Edited excerpts below:
The visuals of your song Mahakaal look grand. What was the thought behind it?
A. We envisioned Mahakaal as a song that is larger than life. The audio itself has a very grand, cinematic feel, so we wanted to translate that into the visuals as well. Even though it is a devotional song, we aimed to create an expansive visual experience that captures the depth and intensity of Mahakaal, the roudra avatar of Lord Shiva. The song is written by Jaani, and we put in a lot of effort to ensure that both the sound and the visuals reflect the divine energy of Mahakaal.
You have achieved so much success with your songs – so many of them have become anthems. Even today, Teri Mitti gives people goosebumps. One would think that you don’t have anything left to prove as a singer. What keeps you motivated?
A. Honestly, I don’t measure my success. I am incredibly grateful for the love my songs receive, but I also believe it is the blessing of Mahadev. The only dream I have is to keep singing and performing in front of a huge live audience — to hear that sound of applause, to feel that energy. That’s it. Until my last breath, all I want to do is sing and connect with people through my music. Bas, zindagi mein yehi karna hai (That’s all that I want to do in life).
What do you want to say about the Ranveer Allahbadia (Beer Biceps) controversy?
A. Well, both of our teams had been in conversation for the last six months to finalize a date for a podcast with him. We were trying to work out the timing because I was traveling extensively, recording songs, and he was also busy. While we were still in discussions, the controversy happened.
Now, let’s be clear — What he said was absolutely wrong, and there are no two ways about it. After the controversy erupted and people reacted strongly, it was my decision not to go ahead with the podcast. That being said, I want to make a few things clear. Firstly, we should not drag this issue any further. He has genuinely apologized for his remarks. Again, what he said was undeniably wrong, but if someone sincerely and wholeheartedly asks for forgiveness, we should be able to move on. Everyone deserves a chance. I have nothing personal against him, and his family should not have to suffer because of this incident — that would be equally unfair. So, let’s not stretch this any further.
As an artist, what do you think is your responsibility?
Look, when you are an artist or a content creator, you are not just representing yourself; you are also representing your country and your culture. That is why you have to be very careful about the content you put out—whether it’s a song, music video, or any other form of content. It has to be meaningful, and it should uphold cultural integrity. As an artist, I feel a great responsibility to create something positive — something that inspires and brings hope. If you focus on making content that uplifts people, there will be no reason for backlash. The key is to create art that does not hurt anyone but instead spreads good vibes (signs off).
The Ranveer Allahabadia aka Beer Biceps controversy:
For those who are unversed, popular digital content creator and podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia (also known as Beer Biceps) found himself at the receiving end of a lot of backlash and wrath from the netizens after his appearance on the latest (now deleted) episode of comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show – India’s Got Latent. In the said episode which was behind the paywall, Ranveer – who was on the panel of judges along side Samay and other content creators, asked one of the contestants in jest, “Would you rather watch your parents have sex for the rest of your life, or join in once and stop it forever?” The question, though intended as a joke, did not go down well with the netizens as soon as the episode went on air. Soon after, Ranveer shared an apology video in which he mentioned that comedy was not his forte and what he said was “not just inappropriate, it wasn’t even funny.”
The said clip from the episode went viral on social media leading to an uproar by the netizens and multiple FIRs being filed against Ranveer and the other members of the panel which included Samay, Ashish Chanchalani, Apoorva Makhija aka The Rebel Kid, and comedian Jaspreet Singh. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had granted Ranveer protection from arrest pertaining to the multiple FIRs lodged against him, while reprimanding him for his statement made on the show. Calling the joke “condemnable and dirty” the SC said that Ranveer’s remarks on the show revealed his “pervert mind that made the entire society feel ashamed”. While the SC granted him protection from arrest, it also said that no new FIRs will be filed with the same accusations against him. Furthermore, the SC has restrained the Ranveer from doing any more shows until further notice.
