Himesh Reshammiya replaces Anu Malik on 'Indian Idol' season 11

Mumbai: Music composer Himesh Reshammiya will be the new judge on the 11th season of singing reality show “Indian Idol” after Anu Malik’s exit amid #MeToo allegations.

Reshammiya, who previously a mentor on Sony TV’s “Superstar Singer”, will join Neha Kakkar and Vishal Dadlani as a judge on “Indian Idol”.

“I was a part of ‘Superstar Singer’ and now my journey continues on ‘Indian Idol 11’. ‘Indian Idol’ is not only one of India’s longest running singing reality shows but also one of the most iconic one. I am extremely elated to be on the judges panel. From here on the responsibility only increases two fold,” the composer said in a statement.

“I have been following this season and I must say that this year has seen phenomenal singers come forward, who I am sure will create ripples in the Indian music industry,” he added.

Allegations against Malik first surfaced last year in October during India’s #MeToo movement and he was briefly suspended as a judge but was brought back for the new season, prompting protests from singers Sona Mohapatra, Neha Bhasin and Shweta Pandit, who had accused the music director of sexual misconduct.

Malik, in a statement, had denied the allegations, saying he was being “cornered” for something he did not do. The composer also said that he maybe forced to take legal action to defend himself.

He stepped down as a judge on the show last month.