t's always worth the wait for Sonu Nigam. His charm, wit and humility make up for the time spent in waiting for the interview. And while I do that, I take a trip down the memory lane, of my first memories of my favourite singer Sonu Nigam.
Sonu Nigam rose to fame with "Sandese Aate hain" from 'Border' and then came 'Pardes', 'Deewana', 'Saathiya', 'Dil Se', 'Kal Ho Na Ho', the list goes on.
With the fame, the sweet 'sona munda' looks took a backstage, and emerged the 'Rockstar' Sonu Nigam. Long hair, beard, embroidered jackets - the playback singer became a play-front singer with his albums and never-ending concerts. This was one singer who could sing, dance, perform, host shows, (sorry failed at acting) - a super performer for Indian music lovers. We all still loved him, because looks may change, but the voice never does.
Coming back to the interview, the singer finally arrived. Dressed suavely in a black shirt, jacket and trousers, he looked charming as ever. A day before his Sydney concert, we interviewed him on his third visit to Down Under. During the interview, we asked him about his success story, and tried to delve more into the Sonu no one knows.
"If you ask me about my success story, the secret is I know when to pull myself back. I don't overexpose myself; I give proper gaps whenever I can. I do not over spend myself, I keep myself busy in lot of activities. I really work hard; I work harder than others, by focussing on my fitness level and studying music. Basically, I know when and how to draw a line," conveys Sonu Nigam.
Sonu Nigam is not only a dedicated singer but always gives time to his family when required. He had another stepping stone in his life when he was blessed with Neevan in 2007. But despite his hectic schedule, you will always see him making public appearance. "I've been to Australia before for concerts, but the reason to come here for a long duration is so I can bring my parents and my son. Last month I have been working really hard with no intervals. I slept throughout the flight, even after landing here I'm still groggy. My son is an integral part of my life, the fact of life is that parents and children need you, wife doesn't really need you," discloses Sonu Nigam.
Recently Sonu Nigam's son Neevan made headlines with his milk version of the famous Kolaveri song. The song became an instant hit on social media circuits. We ask him his views on it and his inspirations for his son, knowing that he started singing at the same age. "My son is an inspired child, a very positive and happy child. The year he was born he travelled 13 countries with us. I still remember he was so well behaved that the flight attendants used to thank him! We don't want to correct him; if we want to, we will correct him at the right thing. I haven't taught him Sa re ga ma, he's very tech-savvy, friendly with iPad, iPod, etc. We don't want to push him, we want him to be a free soul. He has access to everything - judo, dance, piano lessons, like every kid of his age. He can decide later what he wants to become," expresses Sonu.
Sonu Nigam is an exception who has made his mark not only as a playback singer but also as a play-front singer. Why don't we have a Beyonce or a Michael Jackson? "In India, any actor can lip sync in anyone's voice, but in other countries like Europe it's different. We don't feel sad about the difference. Independent singers cannot match with the talent industry - singing for films or singing on stage are two different aspects. You can't deceive your audience on stage, on stage you are both play front and play back," Sonu Nigam says.
Talking about Michael Jackson, Sonu Nigam has also recently performed with Michael Jackson's brother. Have you received any Hollywood offers after that? "India is doing so well, it's a journey in itself. If it will happen, it will, I won't knock on their door," Sonu said.
Last but not the least, we ask Sonu something that his audience doesn't know. "(Laughs) Now you are delving into the dark secrets of my life! Ok, well I used to draw very well when I was a kid. I run pretty fast. I can SMS very fast. I program music very well. I only watch National Geographic Channel and also I have the app on my phone. I'm into astronomy and love to learn about new facts. I'm a bit crazy too! You can ask my previous friends and girlfriend about that if you don't believe me," says the sensational singer before he heads off for a sound-testing for his concert.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/contributors/contributions/neeru-saluja/I-dont-overexpose-myself-Sonu-Nigam/articleshow/13049763.cms
