Diljit Dosanjh

Given the adulation he enjoys as a singer in Punjab, Diljit Dosanjh's appointment as judge on a Hindi music reality show last year met with cinephiles' approval. The 33-year-old had already impressed the audience and critics with his turn as a cop in Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab (2016). Yet, familiarising himself with the tag of a judge has been tough. "I am merely an expert, not a judge. When the team of the show [The Rising Star] approached and narrated the concept to me, I felt safe and happy," says the singer-actor, alluding to the show's judging system, which allows the junta to decide the fate of contestants through live voting system. "The experts only have seven per cent power [in deciding the results]."