Of course, he must have never thought that he would steal hearts with so much ease. Sonu Nigam is a favourite of the masses and also the cause of hysteria for a lot of women across the nation.
Sonu has established himself as one of the most popular singing stars of the decade. His album Deewana in fact broke the record of Alisha Chinai's Made In India and he's now gearing up for his foray into acting.
Sonu is irrepressible, wants it all and is prepared to work hard for it too. When this determined Leo came to Mumbai City, all he had were dreams and ambition of making it big as a playback singer. Son of popular northern singer Agam Kumar Nigam, Sonu had tenacity and faith in his talents. He was first spotted in Close Up Antakshari, shooting away all the correct answers. But till he met late Gulshan Kumar of T-series, Sonu then 17 and a half, had nothing to boast or talk about.
Gulshan Kumar spotted the talent in this youngster and soon Sonu was singing cover versions of popular songs by noted singers Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, and Manna Dey. Sonu received a lot of flak for it but claims he enjoyed the experience, as it was a training ground for him.
I got to learn so much from the styles of the great singers. The manner in which they brought about the flavour of the song and engaged in its rhythmic rendition is noteworthy. To try and match that is a commendable feat as most people who listen to such cover versions are unaware that the singer is a new one and not the original one. Now of course, I'll never do it again," he claimed.
With the current upswing of investors towards promoting new talents, he muses that he should have rather made his debut into the music world now. Sonu who is now training under Ghulam Mustafa Khan to fine tune his singing reveals how it was at age three that he first sang on stage. "During my father's shows, my mother had to literally hold me down, to prevent me from heading for the stage," he says with his devastating grin.
"I used to be keen that I join him for the performances. Music has been in my blood," he said. After his sojourn with Gulshan Kumar, Sonu gained popularity due to the Sa Re Ga Ma Serial on Zee TV, which he hosted for five long years. He quit hosting the show as he felt it had become unsatisfying a task, had
become a routine and gave him no chance for innovation. "Sa Re Ga Ma is what made me and gave me all the recognition.
It provided me space to project my singing talents to the whole world and will forever remain one of my best experiences", he announced. Sonu's singing prowess often gave rise to numerous speculations whether he was more capable and talented than some of the judges present in the show. Sonu casually dismissed such talks with a shrug. He emphasised that it was not an extraordinary task to understand musical chords and its intricacies and that most people did understand its different aspects.
Sonu has an understanding of music and often says that he enjoys singing classical the most. But he is quick to add, stating his song Deewana as an example, that western tunes have tremendous scope for innovation and can be as challenging if sung well and experimented with. Sonu believes in not getting typecast. His songs ranging from 'What is your mobile number' to 'Zindagi maut na ban jaaye sambhaalo yaaro', 'Bijuriya bijuriya' to 'Neeche phoolon ki dukaan upar gori ka makaan', all flaunt his versatility which he says is the weapon of a good singer.
He believes that a singer should be able to sing any song with ease and impart the required mood to the song. Sonu at the age of 26 has already sung thousands of songs in several languages. Sonu has worked with all leading directors like Jatin-Lalit, A.R. Rahman and Sandeep Chowtha. Years ago Sonu used to rush about singing as many as 30 songs a day, trying to make a living. His mode of transport in those days was a scooter.
Today, Sonu sings about one song a day and owns four cars. With his first album and the succeeding ones, Sonu moved beyond the playback singer bracket and became one of the most successful pop artists in the country.
He is a trendsetter with his music albums and their swank videos and choreography. Nowadays Sonu is busy with 3-4-song recordings day, shows and rehearsals for the same. To add to this hectic schedule is his latest entry into films, which he says is an extension of his quest for artistic satisfaction. Sonu has signed two films one with Tips, which will be his first release, and another one with Akashdeep. "It's something which I want to do. But if I feel that I am unable to handle it and am not doing a good job of it, I will quit, he assured us. Sonu has no qualms about quitting, and says that first and foremost he will remain a singer.
Sonu is still unsure about acting and needs time to know his mind as regards acting as a profession. He stressed that it will take him time to get into a frame of mind where as an actor he is able to do justice to his work. Sonu with his cherubic smile still looks like much like an adolescent himself when he is matching steps in his music videos. His charm and style have
indented themselves on the minds of thousand of his fans and his voice has woven a mysterious spell amongst the viewers of cinema.
His voice holds the power to fascinate, his voice reduces one to tears with its pain, his voice makes joy course through your veins. But Sonu credits all his success to God above. Says Sonu "I arrived in Bombay with hopes of being a playback singer. God helped me get some of the best assignments and chances to work with the best people in the industry. When I decided to attempt anchoring television shows, I got the chance to work for the best program Television has ever had. Now, with my decision to act I can only pray that the lord continues to shower his blessings on me."
This spirited man whose love for his family and friends knows no bounds is without doubt a sensitive soul who aims at making the best of life. Let's hope that this star continues to adorn the skies and enthrall us for years to come.
