On 7th January 2006, I had the opportunity of watching Sonu Nigam perform live in the Sonu Nigam Nite held at the kamal Amrohi Studio, Mumbai. It was an exclusive show for doctors and their families. We were very luck to get the passes as my sister-in-law (who is a doctor) could get extra passes for us.
I have been a fan of Sonu Nigam as I have always felt that he is probably the only singer in India who can modulate his voice to fit any genre of music (of course even Shaan does it very well). But after watching the show I should say that I have become a die hard fan of Sonu Nigam. Not only me, my husband, my daughter, .... (let me stop here).
Sonu Nigam has the gift of connecting with the audience. When the programme started, the audience were very well behaved. After a couple of songs, Sonu started singing a bhajan and when the crowd hooted, he said that he felt that this was the type of music the shaantpeople wanted to listen to. And then there was a proper interaction between the audience and Sonu. I think it is very difficult to make this kind of a rapport with people. Sonu enthralled the audience with one hit number after another. He is a dynamite...full of energy! He had all the audience cheering and asking for more and more and more! It was indeed a wonderful evening!
Sonu Nigam made it a point to introduce each and every member of his troupe, even the light man! It seemed as though he knew them very well and this is probably one reason that makes him endearing. This may be due to the fact that Sonu has risen to stardom as a result of his perseverance and hard work. He knows that well and hence has not been be swept by the glory of it all. I hope he remains this way always!
I have seen him since his role as the host of the TV music serial Sa Re Ga Ma. His spontaneity as an anchor is greatly appreciable. The song from Border Sandese Aate Hain for which he got the Zee Cine award, was probably the turning point of his career. With his sensuous rendering of Satrangi Re in Dil Se, Sonu Niigaam confirmed that he was here to stay. Now, he is has established himself as one of the finest male playback singers in India. Since he modulate his voice, it suits every hero from Ajay Devgan to Shah Rukh Khan to Hrithik Roshan. This may be one of the reason why Sonu is in great demand.
Though not publicized much, I have read about his various charity work. This is another feather on his cap. He has acted in a few movies, which I have not watched as yet. Yet I feel that Sonu Nigam is a better singer than an actor. People love him as a singer. So do I :)
Hope he has a great career ahead of him and that he does well in life with his feet firmly on the ground!