There was a time when every second popular Bollywood track was sung by Sonu Nigam. Right from romantic songs and party numbers to private albums — Sonu’s was the voice that resonated from all corners. But things seem to have changed a tad bit since then. He has become a lot more selective about his tracks and self-admittedly, a little choosy.
“These days composers are also singers. Look at Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, Himesh Reshamiya to name a few. When you’re a singer and composer, it’s natural for you to save the best songs for yourself. And I wouldn’t like to play second fiddle to anyone. I don’t want to sing the second-best song. I don’t blame these composers for doing what they are doing. I’d have done the same thing in all probability,” he says.
Besides, Sonu has grown to dislike the idea of spending a lifetime in the recording studio. “I don’t want to grow old in the confines of a studio. When I grow old and my knees go weak, I don’t want to look back at a life spent within those walls alone. Look at Indian Idol winner Sandeep Acharya. Such a talented singer and nice guy, he died so young. You never know how much time you’ve got left to make the most of,” he adds.
Having said that, Sonu is thankful for every song that he has sung till date. He believes it is this rich and varied repertoire that has made him what he is today. “I can proudly say that I sang "What Is Mobile Number" (from 'Haseena Maan Jaayegi') and "Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin" (from 'Agneepath') in the same lifetime. Besides, the latter is very representative of my life. There’s more to me,” says the singer who has sung songs in more than eight Indian languages.
Despite his huge fan base, Sonu has never believed in measuring his success in terms of the number of songs he sings or fans he collects. “As a child, when I used to learn from my father, he always used to tell me that I’d gain the praise of not so much my fans, but other great singers. ‘Dusre guni log tumhari tareef karenge’, he used to say,” reminisces Sonu.
Citing one such instance in particular he tells us, “Once Manna Dey saab was present at a live show I was performing at. He heard my voice and asked someone who I was. He later came to meet me and told me that he was envious of my voice and added that I should have been born in the same era as he was so that we could have a fair competition. Moments like these define your journey,” he adds with a smile.
Sonu’s sister Teesha recently made her singing debut with the film 'Singh Saab The Great' along with her elder brother. Is he playing mentor? “No, not at all. Yes she did get to sing that one song because of me, but I am not playing mentor to anyone. The new generation is far too independent to seek a mentor. She has her own ideas of music. She wants to start her own band and be independent. I am just here if she needs me,” says the doting older brother.
Sonu is currently huge in concerts and live performances and wants to make his fans as much a part of his musical experiences as he can. In a bid to give his fans a feel of being Sonu, the singer has associated himself with leading celebrity digital network — Fluence, which connects celebrities with their fans and brands through their online presence.
“My fans have always been a constant in my life. Earlier through fan letters, now through the digital medium. My social media platforms without any strategy or professional expertise reached to a 13 million base, only because of the love and positivity we have towards each other.
They have ended up becoming my extended family; with whom I share my music, my moods, and my life. With the expertise of Fluence, I look forward to imbibing fresh ideas and exploring new platforms using various ideas to communicate with them,” he adds.
If the latest Sonu Nigam-Chota Shakeel incident is anything to go by, Bollywood and the underworld share a long, twisted and unavoidable relationship that often doesn’t end well.
The fascination with celebrities isn’t limited to fans and movie buffs alone, the goonies too seem to enjoy their fair share of B-town madness. Take a look at other stars that have been in the spotlight for being entangled with the underworld.Gulshan Kumar: Abu Salem, Dawood Ibrahim’s man in Dubai, placed a call to the music man, demanding that he shell out Rs. 10 crores. Gulshan’s refusal to do so ended tragically, when he was shot and killed 10 days later.Rakesh Roshan: After receiving threatening calls from Abu Salem in 2000, Rakesh Roshan was even shot at while leaving his residence in Mumbai. Luckily, his driver rushed him to a hospital immediately, ensuring his injuries were taken care of at the earliest.Shah Rukh Khan: In 2002, SRK alleged he had received threatening phone calls from Abu Salem when the actor turned down a film that Chota Shakeel insisted that he be a part of.Preity Zinta: Not fearing the consequences, Preity claimed to have received threatening calls during the Bharat Shah case. She was the only actor who supported the prosecution in the case. All other stars including SRK and Salman, turned hostile and retracted their earlier statements.Aishwarya Rai: Though no public statement was issued, a telephone transcript between Ash and then partner Salman Khan confirmed that she was under immense pressure to perform at a underworld don’s show.Ronnie Screwvala: UTV’s main man also fell prey to mafia men, when his six men, allegedly from the Pujari gang burst into his office questioning his whereabouts.Akshay Kumar: Last month, Akki claimed to have received calls threatening dire consequences after firing his maid. Although an underworld connection to this incident is unlikely, police are yet to establish its source.Mahesh Bhatt: An unidentified gunman entered the director’s office in his absence and fired two rounds of shots as a warning.Boney Kapoor: A Pujari gang member apparently made an extortion call to the director-producer threatening to kill him if he didn’t pay up an undisclosed amount of money.Ram Gopal Varma: The content of RGV’s upcoming film ‘Satya 2’ has been garnering a lot of attention owing to its “controversial” nature. So much so that, the filmmaker was asked to remove offensive dialogues from the film, or else.Sajid Nadiadwala: The producer’s office was reportedly visited by goons from the Ejaz Lakdawala gang. Worried, Sajid said he hoped that this was a "one-off threat and not the renewal of a frustrating and frightening trend". We agree, Sajid.Aamir Khan: The actor and director Ashutosh Gowariker were also victims of the mob during their ‘Lagaan’ hiatus. Reportedly refusing the gangsters overtures ended in threatening calls being made to them.Manisha Koirala: Abu Salem’s men shot and killed Ajit Diwani, personal secretary to Manisha. Although Salem claimed the actress sought his help in killing the victim, the actress denied the charges.Reportedly, actors Hrithik Roshan, Govinda, Amrish Puri and director Karan Johar were assigned police protection after receiving death threats from the underworld.
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