Popular rapper and music composer Raftaar, who is gearing up to judge Season 7 of talent show Dance India Dance on ZEE TV, says that the love and admiration he receives from the country’s youngsters, helps him be more responsible as an artiste.

“I know that I am admired by youngsters and such admiration makes me feel responsible as an artiste. I am well-versed with what is happening around the world, how the youngsters are reacting to the constant change. I am always at it,” Raftaar told IANS.

According to the musician, being a part of some other youth shows on television, he has interacted with participants who come from different parts of the country. “I draw inspiration from the stories they share of their journey,” he said.

This democratization of talent and opportunities is the result of persistent efforts of numerous performers over the years, said Raftaar referring to the times when acting was not considered a respectable profession to the present time when a profit-making business has been built around it.

“It is great to see how with the increasing number of platforms, art is becoming a commercial product. This is a positive change. Our elders opened the doors for us with their years of struggle,” he said.

“Now it is our responsibility to carry forward the hard-earned freedom of an artiste. Of course, we can talk endlessly on the pure art and commercialised art, but the good time that we are living in now is really hard-earned. Perhaps that is why feeling responsible is constantly there in my head,” he added.

Known for songs like “Dhup chik”, “Go pagal”, “Tu mera bhai nahi hai”, “Toh dishoom” and the remix of Haseeno ka deewana”, Raftaar will judge Dance India Dance along with actress Kareena Kapoor Khan and choreographer Bosco.

And the rapper is quite impressed by the talent that he has seen in the opening episode of the show. He strongly believes that talent in India has only improved over the years because of people’s rising aspirations.

“The dance shows are becoming more interesting because the talent is more versatile and the emphasis is on a combination of dance styles from both the east and the west.

Youngsters seek inspiration from dance icons such as Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor and Tiger Shroff and aspire to fuse the best of the two worlds in their performances,” explained Raftaar.