The Dub Foundation

Among the female voices, Sunidhi Chauhan looks like the future. The young lady's range—from Sur to Dhoom—does match Asha's. The competition is Shreya Ghoshal, who's more Lata-like than anyone from the last three decades and can also pull off a Jadoo hai nasha hai (Jism). Other lilts wafting in: Sneha Pant (On the roof from Masti), Madhushree (Kabhi neem neem from Yuva), Shweta Pandit (Nazaron ka from Aetbaar) and a reborn Sadhna Sargam (Saathiya). Still, this millennium break wouldn't have been possible without Bollywood opening its doors to the new breed of filmmakers. And being given free rein by a new wave of music-makers. For, today even a Sufi singer like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Lagan lagi from Paap), who can't imagine himself doing playback ("Which hero will I sing for?") can be accommodated.

In fact, Kher says music directors now just tell him a broad framework of the song and then let him sing the way he considers fit. Little wonder then that Kher has this advice for aspiring singers: "Don't have a role model." Amen.