Playback singer Abhay Jodhpurkar has spoken to Variety India about challenges in the music industry, including gatekeeping and self-doubt. He recalled that composers Ajay-Atul backed his voice for the song 'Mere Naam Tu' from Shah Rukh Khan's film Zero. Jodhpurkar described how music director A.R. Rahman attempted to launch him in multiple projects, but his recordings were ultimately replaced by established singers. He has also critiqued the commercial decision-making processes in playback singing. Jodhpurkar won a National Award for the song 'Navasachi Gauri Mazi' from the film Gharat Ganpati, a composition rooted in his cultural heritage.