Among contemporary signers, I like Sonu Nigam best. He is serious about his music, has learnt classical and sings with confidence. I also like Udit Narayan because he sings in a completely original style. He is probably the only playback singer in Hindi films who never sang like anyone else. I think it's admirable that he has succeeded so much with his own style.

Alka Yagnik is good too. She's come a long way since she began in the 1980s. People say she sings somewhat like me, but I think Alka listened to my music and just took from that whatever she liked, what suited her. The rest is her own talent, her won effort. She would not have been singing successfully for twenty-five years if she did not have originality. Many other signers who came in the 1970s and 1980s were good singers per se, but either sang like me or like Asha. Which is why they faded out sooner or later. As long as the originals are going strong, where was the need for Xeroxes, tell me?

Sunidhi Chauhan has a good, expressive voice, but she's crafted a particular image for herself as the singer of fast, racy songs. She has the potential to be a complete singer, if she works hard.

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