Gay singer and 'Bigg Boss' contestant Sushant Divgikar to make singing debut

Sushant Divgikar

Sushant Divgikar, a well-known face and voice, especially on the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) circuit, is excited about his playback singing debut in the forthcoming Marathi movie, Vitthal. The track, Divgikar says, is, "more than a song for me. I hope that with this debut, I have been able to breach a wall, because I was finding it increasingly difficult to get a breakthrough, owing to my sexuality."

While Divgikar is prominently lending his voice to the male vocals in the peppy track, titled Dhangad Dhinga, he is "also singing some of the lines" for the female voice.

Divgikar's breakthrough came when he met the film's music director Vivek Kar last month. "Vivek asked me to listen to a song and then render it in my own way. He really liked the texture of my voice and told me he was appointing me for the track. I fainted," he laughs.

For the former swimming champion, recording studios are familiar terrain. He has paid many visits to musicians in the hope of getting work, but was often rejected on several grounds, the most common one being that his orientation would hamper the image of the artiste he would sing for. "Some people told me I'm very flamboyant, and that might affect the artiste I'm lending my voice to. He may not be taken seriously, or, my orientation might affect his image negatively. These reasons were tough for me to come to terms with," he says.

Not one to lose heart, Divgikar says he combated depression by staying motivated. The film is set for a September release, with its music scheduled to hit shelves next month. It will also feature vocals by Vishal Dadlani in the lead track.

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