Sonu Nigam has over 6,000 songs and 47 years of live performances to his credit. With a multi-genre repertoire that includes romantic melodies, dance numbers and soulful tracks, the singer’s range is enviable. His songs include numbers like Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin, Sandese Aate, Kal Ho Na Ho, Suraj Hua Maddham and You Are My Soniya, among others. In a conversation with us, Sonu opens up about the toughest phase of his life, his priorities at 51, the advent of AI and more.

There was a time about five-six years back when I felt that I’ve probably done and experienced everything – be it success, failure, happiness, ecstasy, depression and spiritual elevation – but then something within me told me never to underestimate the universe. Never think ki ‘ho gaya’. So, I surrendered, now the universe will tell me what’s next. My life is good and smooth. The more I surrender to the universe, the better my life is. The love of my colleagues, my seniors, my contemporaries… it’s so organic, and it’s come from surrendering myself. There has been no manipulation or strategy here.

I never got a chance to learn music when I was a kid. I was inspired by my parents, and they told us whom to listen to, but vidhivat training in music is something I didn’t get then. So, what I did not get to learn or enjoy in my childhood, I’m trying to make up for it now. I have just two priorities now – my constant vocal practice and maintaining a reasonable fitness level. I can try to get a six-pack, but I also like to eat (laughs), so I want to strike a balance. I’m fit, and I have good stamina, and that’s what is important. When I’m performing on stage for three-four hours, I need to be physically fit.

AI is a threat to average writers, singers and musicians who are not passionate. Tell AI to write one song on mohabbat in Javed Akhtar’s style, and it will be done. It is being used to program songs, too. But all this is for mediocre people and AI is a threat for them.

Kai cheezein thi… I wasn’t prepared for any of that. So, I’d be a liar to say that it was all fine. No, I did feel, ‘Yaar, kya ho raha tha, yeh bhi dub kar raha hai, woh bhi dub kar raha hai.’ Nobody wanted to work with me because they knew if I sang their songs, some music companies wouldn’t take them. They wanted to work with me and would say, ‘Sonu bhai, zara samjhauta kar lo.’ But I didn’t. So obviously, those were tough times, but I had faith and did not let the negativity seep in. Today, all the music companies love me, aur hum wapas pyaar se rehtein hain. It was a very difficult phase, but some lessons were meant to be learnt.

When you get married, you think you understand the person, but then, the equation changes. You face ups and downs in your marital life and one is not ready for it. You are never prepared for a difficult marriage. Most people have difficulties in their marriage at some point. I believe familiarity breeds contempt. When you live with a person, you forget who that person is. You start looking at them contemptuously. It starts hunky-dory, but later, the taken-for-granted feeling creeps in. Some people are okay with it, perhaps I’m not. I don’t deny the fact that times have been tough for me, but I have a beautiful son, and he deserves the love of both his parents. So, you come to a mutual understanding after a point. You mature over the years and also start looking at the other person differently and accept each other. My work is such that I travel a lot and that also gives us enough space. It’s good to have space… you don’t get on each other’s nerves (laughs).

British singer Zayn Malik is a fan of singer Sonu Nigam’s song Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin from the 2012 film Agneepath. Recently, in an interview with Diet Paratha, the former One Direction member spoke about his favourite Hindi track and said, “My favourite Hindi song is Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin sung by Sonu Nigam. It is an incredible track and I would do no justice to it if I sing it. But maybe, at some point on my tour in the future, I might attempt it.”

Mention this to Sonu, and the singer says, “That’s so sweet. Zayn is a bright and talented singer. Because of Nevaan (Nigam; his son), I have heard a lot of his songs, including Pillowtalk, Dusk Till Dawn and A Whole New World. Praising me shows his own humility. I am all smiles.”

Penned by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya and composed by music director duo Ajay-Atul, the award-winning song was picturized on actors Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the film.

Sonu Nigam was among those conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, this year. The singer was given the honour for his contribution to the field of art. Sonu, who has a plethora of songs to his credit in various languages, had won the prestigious National Award in 2003 for the title track of Kal Ho Naa Ho. Some of his popular songs include Sandese Aate Hai (Border), Yeh Dil Deewana (Pardes), Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin (Agneepath), Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna (The Legend Of Bhagat Singh) and Suraj Hua Maddham (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), among others. In a chat with Bombay Times, the singer talks about winning the honour and his family’s emotional reaction. Excerpts:

I have been showered with calls and compliments ever since the announcement was made. It’s a humbling and overwhelming feeling. All I can say is, bahut der kar di meherbaan aate aate.

I had stopped thinking about it. The Padma Shri Award has been playing hide and seek with me for over 25 years. The first time someone mentioned that I might receive the Padma Shri was in 1998. After that, every now and then, people would tell me that I am among the prime candidates that year, and it would raise my expectations. Gradually, I matured and stopped looking in that direction entirely. This was absolutely unexpected.

I look at it as appreciation from India for my journey as an artiste in the last three decades. It felt really good to see my father and family shedding tears of joy. Awards are like gifts. You must not boast about them if you receive them, and you must not sulk when you don’t get one. They don’t determine the calibre of an artiste.

I got to know about it while I was shooting a musical show in Kolkata. So, I had to make quick calls to my family between takes. My first call was a video call to my father (Agam Kumar Nigam). I told him, ‘Papa, sit down comfortably somewhere. I just received a call from The Ministry of Home Affairs. Padma Shri for us!’ My younger sister and he started screaming. He and I then cried, remembering my mother (Shobha Nigam). I was on the set and couldn’t tell anyone why I was crying until 7 pm when the winners were announced. As for my family in Dubai, I broke the news to my wife Madhurima’s mother first over a video call while the rest of the family was around her. Nevaan got to know about it after he returned from school. He was obviously extremely happy and quipped, “Now, I’ll call you Padma Shri Chhotu.” He and I address each other as Chhotu.

“I see brazen neglect of Coronavirus protocols in political rallies that are rampant everywhere,” rues singer Sonu Nigam, who has tested Covid-19 positive for the third time. He adds, “I feel there is something wrong in the management of this crisis. The only people who keep suffering are those who contribute maximum to the Indian economy — artistes, restauranteurs, theatre owners, filmmakers, etc.” 

Unlike his first two times, the singer says he was better prepared now. “I knew I had a relapse, so I got myself tested, but I tested negative. Only the test done the day before my flight [for an event] turned positive,” Nigam tells us.  

The singer adds that he feels disheartened when his work suffers. “I feel guilty in such matters, even though they are beyond my control. I had an event in Bhubaneswar and had to feature on a musical reality show,” shares Nigam, who is spending time with his son, Nevaan, in Dubai: “He cooks delicious food for me.”

Singer-composer Sonu Nigam, who had relocated to Dubai last year, came back to Mumbai around three months ago. In an exclusive chat with BT, he speaks about why he chose to come back to Mumbai during the pandemic, why sob stories work for reality shows and how the pandemic gave most of us a new perspective. Excerpts:

This year, I spent the entire lock-down in Mumbai. I have been here for the past three months. When I relocated to Dubai last year, I did not know that the lockdown would last for so long back home. I felt guilty being there because I was far away from my father and sister, who were alone in Mumbai for six months. This year, though my wife and son are in Dubai, I am happy that I am spending quality time with my father and sister. My father (singer Agam Kumar Nigam) occasionally cooks for me, sometimes I cook for him, he watches my sister and me work out in the gym, we recall memories of my struggling days and talk about the present and future plans.

Schools have opened up in Dubai, and my son is happy as he is not studying online anymore. We have many friends and Madhu’s sister is staying with them, so they are fine. There has to be a balance in the time I spend with my families. I can’t forget my first family to be with my wife and son. It is my duty to be with my father, too.

As for being in two cities, I have never depended on a place. Even if you keep me in the woods, I will be happy. But partly, my purpose of being in India was to contribute to society during the pandemic, but I don’t like to talk about how I am helping others.

Whatever I am doing in this pandemic is not some act of greatness. We are all doing our bit, because at the end of the day we are in the same boat.

If they weren’t working (sob stories), it would not be happening so often on reality shows. In the deepest corner of my heart, I feel sob stories are working. It is a marketing thing, and people are not fools. Their hearts are in the right place. I also feel that the contestants in reality shows are extremely talented. They are ‘dhurandhars’. Secondly, the definition of entertainment varies from person to person. Recently, I was watching a Korean film and I connected with it because it reminded me of my struggles, but it could be boring for someone else. Who am I to comment on the music reality shows? They are doing well, getting good viewership and the singers are phenomenal.

I will go with my gut feeling. If I feel I can contribute to a show and they come with an offer, why not? If I feel I am a misfit, I won’t do it.

No, I don’t think so. I feel they aren’t working so well now. Many of my songs were sung by singers and they were trolled heavily. I am also scared of singing a song originally sung by someone else (laughs!). Anil Kapoor had requested me to sing a Mohammed Rafi song (Badan Pe Sitaare) in Fanney Khan, and it was only after he convinced me that it was about a stage singer who is a fan of Rafi saab singing it in the film, that I agreed to sing it.

I want my son to be a happy child and don’t want to advise him on his career. Zaroori nahi hai ki doctor ka child doctor aur singer ka child singer banne…Yesterday, he told me he wants to become a lawyer, a few years back he wanted to become a cricketer. I believe in happiness and not success. I feel that an enlightened man is successful and not otherwise.

Not just the music industry, the entire universe got a break due to the pandemic. Things have changed a lot, post the pandemic. Sabko aate aur dal ke bhaav pataa lag gaya hai. So, many changes have taken place and there will be many corrections.

I did the short film Spotless in 2019, which got good reviews in festivals abroad. After that, I got a few good offers. There are no major plans to act, but I will consider it if I am offered something interesting. 

Sonu Nigam grabbed eyeballs earlier this week when he disguised himself as a poor man and sang on the streets of Mumbai without being recognized as part of a social experiment. The video in question was to check out if the city that never sleeps would pause for a moment to listen to an old and impoverished singer. Now, Mirror has learnt that he is all set to launch another video which will feature his friends from Bollywood besides a surprise performance by his eight-yearold son Nevaan. Among the B-town A-listers is Munnabhai, 3 Idiots and PK director Rajkumar Hirani.

A source associated with the project confirmed the news, saying, “Yes, the star-studded video will feature Raju Hirani playing himself. It's just a one-scene appearance with an interesting part in which Raju tells Sonu that the sets are grand, the video great but it lacks soul and Sonu needs to bring in some innocence. That paved the way for Nevaan's entry.“ The filmmaker agreed to face the camera because of the great equation he shares with Sonu.

Director-choreographer Farah Khan and singer-composer Kailash Kher will also be seen in fun roles, along with Italian-Canadian classical crossover singer Natalie Di Luccio who plays an Egyptian princess and comedian Sunil Grover best known as Gutthi. The video has been directed by Sonal Batra and will be launched on YouTube channel Culture machine next week.

“It is a peppy dance number. Sonu approached Raju personally and agreed to do it as an affectionate gesture,“ adds the source.

Sonu Nigam on going ‘indie’ with his popular new Chutney-flavoured single Trini Ladki
Bryan Durham (BOMBAY TIMES; February 28, 2014)

For someone who has been a significant part of the music industry — both in its film (Bollywood et al) and non-film (Indipop) avatars, Sonu Nigam’s recent leaning towards independent music might come as a surprise to some, but for anyone following his career over the past few years, he has been his own person. And so, veering towards doing his own thing more openly is expected. We caught up with the singer-composer recently to speak to him about his latest endeavour, a single called Trini Ladki. A Chutney track, with musical influences borrowed from both Caribbean and Indian sounds, it embodies the global appeal of Indian sounds in international music. The video for the track has crossed one lakh views already.
In conversation with Sonu....
 
How did Trini Ladki happen? 
I go where my instinct tells me. I work on it and follow through. I personally feel this is the right time and atmosphere for independent music. And by that, I mean music that isn’t dependent on cinema to thrive. As for Trini Ladki,the idea came from Rocky, my live show promoter in North America. He told me one day, “Why don’t you release a single that has a worldwide appeal?” I thought to myself, “Why don’t I?”
 
Why go Chutney, though? 
The intention was to go Chutney, but in a way that was quite different from the music put out by the likes of Kanchan-Babla. I got in touch with another promoter friend from Trinidad & Tobago, Tony Maharaj to help me out. It became something of a multi-country collaboration. We arranged the music at my studio in Mumbai.
 
Chutney music is a part of the culture in Trinidad & Tobago as well as Suriname. What’s the scene there as far as Indian music goes?
I’ve been to both T&T (1996) as well as to Suriname (1994). They know my songs that even I’ve forgotten! And I’m not trying to glorify it or anything but music is actually bigger than cinema there. The older songs are still popular. They love music for its own sake. There —and even in Mauritius and South Africa — what we think is popular is not the case there. Here, producers only publicise certain songs. There, they don’t have trends forced upon them. There, the common man rules.
 
What’s holding us back? 
Over the years, I’ve become a student of people’s minds. The good ones want to work alone, have a slight ego issue, won’t do everything that comes their way, and don’t flock with yes-men. That is India’s tragedy. The producer and director of a film end up developing a distance from the good singers. Obviously, they have to publicise the mediocre ones — the ones who say yes to everything. Mediocre minds feed off and are supportive of each other. I, for one, have a different set of friends.
 
The first video you put out (of your son Nivaan) is footage from a recording, as is Trini Ladki. Why’s that? 
In Nivaan’s case, it was unintentional. We didn’t know it would catch on in such a big way. This time around, we want to strategise the release. First, releasing the track, then the ‘making of’ video and then, later, the proper one. We’re working towards popularising it as best we can.
 
Is this a one-off single or will you be working on more such videos?
I feel this is a year that will focus on independent music. It will be the kind of music that defines me. Moreover, I’m young now and will get haggard in a few years. I was speaking to my dad the other day and he said that I should do as many videos as I can.
 
Do you think video channels are becoming the new ‘music labels’?
I think it is an evolution of sorts.