International pop sensation Ronan Keating understands why Grammy-winning superstar Beyonce infuses an Indian flavour in her songs and videos, and says he hopes to work with a Bollywood star or a singer one day.

"I have been lucky enough to travel to India many times over the years, touring with Boyzone and on my own. I remember clearly being at the MTV awards. It was amazing," Keating told IANS in an exclusive interview.

"I love travelling and having the opportunity to come to India was a wonderful experience. I loved it. The people were amazing. They were so warm, caring, and genuine. I had a real connection when I was there with the people, and I would love to come back," added the singer, who performed in India at MTV Immies 2005.

After his brief affair with India, the singer wants to forge a deeper bond with the country by working with Indian talent.

"I would love to connect with a Bollywood artiste and perform, sing, shoot a music video… The colours, the performance, the energy," said the 43-year-old singer.

Recalling an incident, he said: "I remember when I was at the MTV awards, there was this guy. He was like the Indian version of Justin Timberlake. He was a singer, and an amazing dancer. He had a whole troupe of dancers with him. He was amazing. I don't know his name.

"I remember seeing that and thinking, 'wow', and then I watched a lot of the performances when I was there, and saw the local artistes perform, the colours. You could see why Beyonce has taken a lot of inspiration from dance routines and from costumes and the flavours. You can see it's been taken straight from an Indian artiste. I would love to collaborate with somebody," added Keating.

With the world gradually opening up post pandemic, Keating is ready to connect with his fans once again. "It is a wonderful thing for me to be able to connect with my audience…. (Amid the Covid-19 pandemic), I haven't been able to see my audience," he shared.

As an attempt to connect with fans again, Keating has associated with the GoNuts platform. "I haven't been able to tour, no concerts, nothing for the last over 12 months and this is a great way and a great platform for me to connect with my audience and to let them know that I'm still here, and that I'm alive. There are millions of people across India that have bought my music, and have come to my shows over the years. It's a wonderful way for me to connect with them. Because I can't travel at the moment."

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)