India, April 30 -- What could have been a routine audience request turned into a statement on artistic dignity by Kailash Kher. At an event in Delhi last week, the singer refused to perform impromptu when asked to sing a few lines, using the moment to challenge what he sees as a problematic norm. "Yahi main badalna chahta hoon. ki gayak ko, sangeet ko aise naa mana jaaye ki sir do line gaa dijiye, mood bana dijiye. Yeh bahut galat hai. Yeh request hi mat kijiye," Kher said, stressing that such casual demands diminish the value of music. Drawing a sharp comparison, he added, "Aap kya (cricketer) Sachin Tendulkar ko bolenge ki ek zara chakka lagake dikha dijiye?. clown mat banane dijiye kalakar ko." His remarks have since sparked a broader conversation, with mixed reactions emerging from across the music fraternity. For singer Raghu Dixit, the sentiment hits home. "I agree with what he said. I don't mind singing if I am told in advance. I don't like surprises like that. It makes an artiste feel taken casually," he says. Singer-composer Salim Merchant offers a more open-ended perspective: "I don't think it is demeaning. I understand when the request is not made with respect and it feels like they are ordering you, or maybe you are not in the mood, you can just politely say no." Veteran singer Anup Jalota takes a grounded stance. "Log toh request karenge hi. That will not stop. It should depend on the artiste whether they want to entertain it or not," he says. Drawing a parallel, he adds, "When a doctor goes to a party, everyone will ask them (to prescribe a medicine) will he say no? Obviously not." Singer Arjun Kanungo frames the issue through practicality: "There's nothing wrong with that...You can always decline politely. That should not be taken as a sign of arrogance."...