The air seems to hum a little sweeter today, July 30th. It’s a special day for Sonu Nigam, the beloved singer who has charmed millions with his voice. From the moment he first held a microphone at just four years old, he began captivating hearts. His journey is full of interesting tales.
Sonu Nigam’s name is spoken with great respect in the music world. He ruled the hearts of music lovers throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Born in Faridabad, Haryana, on July 30, 1973, Sonu inherited his musical gift from his family. His father, Agam Kumar Nigam, used to sing at stages and various events, passing his talent down to his son.
A Child Prodigy’s Start
Sonu Nigam began singing when he was only four years old. At this tender age, his parents introduced him to the songs of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi. Young Sonu sang Rafi’s famous song ‘Kya Hua Tera Wada’ from the film ‘Hum Kisise Kum Naheen’. He performed it with his father on stage for the very first time. This performance kicked off a continuous string of stage appearances for him. When he was 18 or 19, his father brought him to Mumbai to pursue a Bollywood career. There, he trained under the Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.
Hitting the Right Notes in Bollywood
Sonu Nigam’s film singing career began with the movie ‘Jaanam’ in 1990. However, that film never saw the light of day. It was a cold start for his first movie. He then started his career on TV with the song ‘Hum To Chhaila Ban Gaye’ from the DD1 show ‘Talaash’ in 1992. His first song released in a film was ‘O Aasmanwale’ from ‘Aaja Meri Jaan’ in 1993.
Mohammed Rafi heavily influenced Sonu Nigam’s singing style. Sonu considers Rafi his guru, a fact he has often shared. In his early days, he mainly sang Rafi’s songs on stage. His first album, ‘Rafi Ki Yaadein’ (1992), also featured Rafi’s timeless melodies. Sonu Nigam has also stated in interviews that he sees his parents as his first gurus. After them, he credits Mohammed Rafi for teaching him so much, calling him his guru.
The Big Break: Sa Re Ga Ma
The biggest turning point in Sonu’s life came when he got the chance to host the show ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’. This music show aired in 1995. Soon after, he met Gulshan Kumar, the head of T-Series. Impressed by Sonu Nigam’s voice, Gulshan Kumar offered him a song in the film ‘Bewafa Sanam’. His song ‘Achha Sila Diya Tune Mere Pyaar Ka’ from that movie became a massive hit. It instantly brought him recognition in the industry. From that moment, Sonu’s success story only grew stronger. His voice perfectly matched the styles of actors like Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan.
When Art Demanded Blood
Did you know that blood actually came from the singer’s mouth while recording a song? This happened with the song ‘Yeh Dil Deewana’ from the film ‘Pardes’, which featured Shahrukh Khan. When Sonu arrived at the studio, director Subhash Ghai told him, “Sonu, you need to sing this song with so much pain that blood should come from your throat.” Sonu Nigam took Ghai’s words to heart. He poured his entire soul into making the song perfect. Amazingly, after the recording finished, blood really did come from his throat. He even showed it to Subhash Ghai. Subhash Ghai himself shared this story on a singing reality show. The song went on to become a huge hit.
A Brush with Acting
Sonu Nigam carved out a special place for himself in the world of singing. Besides music, he also tried his luck in acting. This journey began early, as a child artist. He appeared in films like ‘Pyara Dushman’, ‘Ustad Ustadi Se’, ‘Betaab’, ‘Humse Hai Zamana’, and ‘Taqdeer’. Later, he made his adult acting debut with the film ‘Jaani Dushman’. He also starred as an actor in ‘Love in Nepal’ and ‘Kaash Aap Hamare Hote’. However, his acting career didn’t find the same success as his singing.
A Song Close to His Heart
Hundreds of Sonu Nigam’s songs are on music lovers’ favorite lists. But the one song that holds a special place in Sonu Nigam’s own heart is ‘Har Ghadi Badal Rahi Hai’ from the film ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’. At an event, Sonu Nigam once said, “I know for myself, I don’t know about others, but this is the song that will play in the background when it’s written on TV that famous singer Sonu Nigam has passed away. There is no song above this in my life.”
A Name Change and Family Life
At one point, Sonu Nigam changed his name from Sonu Nigam to Sonu Niigaam, believing in numerology. However, he later reverted to his original birth name, Nigam.
Sonu Nigam married Madhurima Mishra on February 15, 2002. They met at an event and instantly felt a connection. After dating for about seven years, they decided to get married. Madhurima hails from a Bengali family. They are parents to a son named Nevaan. Nevaan gained attention when he sang his own version of the popular song ‘Kolaveri D’. Sonu Nigam doesn’t just sing in Hindi. He has lent his voice to songs in Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Chhattisgarhi, Odia, Nepali, Tulu, and Meitei languages. He even sang ‘Chiggy Wiggy’ with Australian singer Kylie Minogue for the film ‘Blue’.