'I like being multidisciplinary'

She is one half of the popular Mumbai-based electronic duo Shaa’ir and Func. She sings, she dances, she acts and she also judges reality shows. Doing multiple things simultaneously, she explains, “is my thing”. 

As the consecutive judge for the second season of The Stage, an English singing reality show which airs on Colors Infinity, she says she is looking for a talent who has strong power and identity. 

It is an Indian English singing reality show which made its debut last year, and Dogra says that this year, “sky is the limit”. In a candid chat with Metrolife, she elaborates on her expectations from, and contributions to, the show and on how she manages the many hats she dons. 

Excerpts:

What are your expectations from The Stage?

I am expecting season 2 to be bigger, brighter, and the talent to be much more challenging than what we saw on the first season. We have added some live band performances this time. What makes the experience better now is that everyone on the show knows each other really well and they are comfortable with each other.

What will your contributions in this season be?

This time I want to mentor the contestants in a way that it helps them uncover an individualistic style. I want to help them find own voice and their own story. I want to be able to reveal the hidden star quality in the contestants.

What is the criterion behind judging contestants?

I am looking forward to an artist who moves me. I have spent nine years of my life in this country touring and building my career through independent art and non-Bollywood music. So I know what it takes to be someone who has a strong presence, identity and a vibe that converts the naysayers, since they are so many. I look forward to that kind of power on the show. 

What are your views about fellow judges? 

I think Devraj (Sanyal) is the guy with corporate qualities, he knows what label we are looking for. Ehsaan (Noorani) is the most technical person who is mostly looking for precisions. Vishal (Dadlani) is someone who is looking forward to a combination of technicality and energy. And I am looking for someone who has the courage to reveal themselves at an intimate level. We all have extremely different ideas, styles and opinions and this makes the show unpredictable and exciting. 

What do you enjoy the most, singing, dancing, acting or judging reality shows?

I like being multidisciplinary. I am quite often asked this question because not many people are multidisciplinary, and I take that as a compliment. These are all my choices in which I have been very wildly and intrinsically interested since I was a child. I have never chosen and I’m not going to start choosing a favourite. For me, they all feed each other. They give me an added nuance and spectrum as a performer. I am able to emote and tell stories, which is the crux of what I like to do.

What are your future projects?

I have a music video releasing at the end of this month called Shiver. I have an EP that I’m working on, which will be ready in October.