In an age where the worth of television comperes is weighed by
the sheer volume of vivaciousness they exude, Sonu Nigam has
held his ground surprisingly well. For, more than two years
after its launch, TVS Sa re ga ma still remains one of the
more popularprogrammes on air and its host, one of the most
popular hosts.
When you see him at home reclining on the sofa in worn-out
jeans and a T-shirt, the difference in him from his screen
image hits immediately. This is a regular problem with me.
Nigam responds. Everyone expects me to be in a dhoti or
churidar-kurta allthe time. I wear traditional clothes on
screen because Gajendra Singh wanted to give a traditional
flavour to the show, he adds.
Two-and-a-half years of compering a weekly programme means a
lot of show considering that he is no longer the fresher who
quit studies and came to Mumbai from Delhi with dreams of
making it big. Since he has already achieved a fair share of
his dreamsthrough playback singing and private albums, how
does he sustain his interest in the show?
TVS Sa... came to me at the worst period of my struggle and
gave me recognition. I love the show too much to get bored.
Besides, we all know each other so well now in the unit that
it's like a picnic! Not that this picnic is always an
effortless one. ForNigam admits that shooting every episode is
painstaking work. More so because three or even four episodes
are canned in a day. On bad days I have sung my opening song
10 to 12 times over because of technical problems, he grins
ruefully.
However, the main cause for stress for Nigam at these shoots
comes from the sensitive audience that sits in. The audience
comprises mainly of invitees and families of the contestants.
And every parent wants his child to win. So invariably parents
of thosewho don’t win, raise their voices about the fairness of the decision. What’s worse is that I'm usually made the target of their anger and I'm accused of cheating, he continues heatedly.
The problem is we always ask the judges to mark the singers in
multiples of five to make calculations easy like 50, 55. But
at least five times in every schedule, it happens that some of
the judges make mistakes and give marks like 52 and other such
oddfigures. Then I have to ask them to rectify and use
multiples of five. The audience witnesses me asking the judges
to make changes and thinks that I am cheating!
The telephone shrills for the nth time. And you prepare
yourself for some minutes of inactivity again. But wonder of
wonders, Sonu speaks into the receiver as an old woman
announcing, Sonu Nigam ghar pe nahin hai. (He is not at home). So perfect is hisimpersonation that no doubt the caller accepts it as the truth. Replacing the receiver, Sonu shrugs.
Too many boys call up to abuse me just because their girlfriends like to see me. But does he enjoy all the female adulation? I know it's (adulation)probably there, but I haven't really experienced it because I never go out anywhere, he blushes.
My life is neither easy nor starry. I work 16 hours a day and
seven days a week. I want to make it to the top. Now after the
success of songs in Border and Pardes, I am getting a lot of
offers for playback singing. I want to go international too,
in thearea of private albums. So I have a lot of hard work
ahead of me.As for TVS Sa..., he solemnly promises to bring
it to viewers every Monday of the rest of his life if the
viewers so desire! I'll stop only when people get fed up he
says, flashing his million dollar smile.
