Renowned Indian playback singer Sonu Nigam is famous for his charming personality, soft-spoken nature, and golden voice. He began his singing career at age four, performing "Kya Hua Tera Wada" with his father, Agam Kumar Nigam. Over the years, his hard work brought him immense success. In 1990, Sonu hosted the popular reality TV show Sa Re Ga Ma for five years, earning widespread attention. However, it shocked many when he decided to quit the show at its peak, despite its success. Watch Sonu Nigam’s flashback interview, where he reveals why he left the show. #sonunigam #surajhuamadham #agamkumarnigam #saregama
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00:00At that time, when I was 17 years old, I used to think that if Kumar Shanu ji is standing here, he must have so much money, he can buy my box, it's amazing, he can buy it, but I can't afford it.
00:08When will the time come when I will be able to buy a box of Modak with my own money?
00:12Apalam, chaplam, chaplayere, I don't like this song, please forgive me.
00:17If you say, what is this lyrics? Then critics write that this is very bad, this is, that is.
00:22Doing the same thing again and again, what happens is that the vocabulary ends, your grammar ends.
00:27How do I choose Hindi words every week and say the same things, say the same things, talk about people in the same way, how many times can I repeat the same thing?
00:36I get irritated by people who are ill-mannered or who say strange, modernized things, which have no logic, no meaning.
00:47You have reduced anchoring for TV, why did this happen?
00:57Actually, I always did anchoring only for Saregama.
01:00In between that, I did a Red Ribbon show for Star Plus, that too because it was related to AIDS.
01:06And I made my first video for AIDS, so I did that program, which ran 13 episodes, only 14 episodes, Red Ribbon show.
01:15But anyway, I was getting the satisfaction of anchoring on TV through Saregama.
01:22Now it has been 5 years since Saregama, so I left the work of anchoring.
01:29And now, for now, my focus is on music until it spreads somewhere else.
01:34Don't you think you became more popular through Saregama?
01:38Absolutely.
01:39Why did you leave it?
01:41Okay.
01:42Because you were more popular in it.
01:46Through Saregama for 5 years, I found myself on television every week.
01:55Sometimes I found it every day.
01:57There was a time when people started with my program every day.
02:00And so much respect, so much love.
02:05And people say, dream come true.
02:08But this was not even my dream.
02:10I never thought that I would get a chance like this.
02:12Naushad, Anil Biswas, O.P. Nayyar, Mehndi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, Suresh Wadkar.
02:20These people will be on one program, giving blessings, and we can all start.
02:23I never thought that I would get a chance like this, that people would come to my program.
02:27But after 5 years, I felt that doing the same thing again and again, the same, what happens, the vocabulary ends.
02:35Your grammar ends.
02:37How can I repeat the same thing every week, in the same Hindi, choosing the same Hindi words,
02:44say the same things, talk about people in the same way.
02:48How many times can I repeat the same thing?
02:50That repetition, I said, before people make fun of me.
02:53I make fun of myself.
02:55So when I found Saregama at its pinnacle, I said, Namaskar.
03:00I should take some other path.
03:03I know that the publicity I was getting in Luxury, I won't get that anymore.
03:11Now I will have to make efforts for it.
03:13I will do it.
03:15God will open another path for me.
03:18When did you think of acting?
03:21You know what, actually, acting has changed my life a lot.
03:27Ever since I left Saregaon, I thought I would focus on singing.
03:31But every week, I get one or two films.
03:34Right now, I have heard 16 out of 27 films.
03:41The rest, 9 or 10, I have skipped.
03:45And I am not capable of doing so many films at once.
03:49I am not that capable.
03:51I don't have that much confidence in myself.
03:54I had confidence in singing, that's why I came to become a singer.
03:57But now, I don't have that much confidence in acting.
04:00I need some time.
04:01If I start shooting, it will be Ramesh Taranji's first film.
04:07It will be released before that.
04:09I have a lot of time to start shooting.
04:11I have to think a lot, learn a lot.
04:14I have to prepare my mind as an actor.
04:17Before this, when I used to take films, I used to focus on his background music, his singers.
04:21Who is the singer? Who is singing?
04:23Who is playing the alaap? Who can be the singer?
04:25What is the raag?
04:27In which studio did you record? I used to think about all this.
04:29Now, I have to think about how this actor would have done this scene,
04:33how long the scene is, how he would have spoken the dialogue,
04:35how fast he would have spoken, how much he would have studied.
04:37I need some time to think about all this.
04:39I need some time for myself to grow as an actor.
04:41If I do acting, which I can start shooting after 4-5 months,
04:46if I do it, it will be Ramesh Taranji's first film.
04:48This is fixed.
04:49But how will you be able to balance acting and singing?
04:53He will do it. I don't know anything.
04:55I will just do the work.
04:56If it is done, he will do it.
04:58If I feel that I am not able to do anything properly, then I will leave it.
05:02This is my promise.
05:03If I feel that I am getting very stressed or I am not able to do anything properly,
05:08then I will leave it.
05:09My first preference is always singing.
05:11It will always be there.
05:12What did you have to think about acting in the beginning?
05:15Even today, I am still confused.
05:17It is not that I have become an actor now.
05:20Every day when I read in the newspaper that Sonu Nidhi is becoming an actor,
05:24even then I feel scared.
05:25People's enthusiasm, people's curiosity, people's hopes and expectations are increasing.
05:31So, I get more insecurities in my mind.
05:34I had it before too.
05:35I was very scared before.
05:37Now I feel that suddenly so many people have come to me with their films.
05:43So, maybe God wants me to work harder,
05:47to think of myself in a different way.
05:51To go into another fine art.
05:54It is possible that I will do it or not.
05:56It depends.
05:57Are you going to take some basic training for this?
06:01I will take it.
06:02I have not started taking it yet.
06:04But I will take it.
06:05I will definitely take it.
06:06I will not go without it.
06:07I will definitely take it in acting.
06:09Sonu ji, please sing two lines of a song.
06:21Yeh bekhudi kyu tum se mili hai
06:29O jaane jaana maine na jaana
06:37Tum hi kaho kya baat hai
06:44Kyu dil mein samaaye
06:49Kya baat hai
06:52Sonu ji, nowadays melodious songs are being made.
06:56There was a time when anything could be written in the name of songs.
07:00It is not like that.
07:02I think good and bad things have happened all the time.
07:06If you listen to music even in the 40s,
07:11there have been bad things too.
07:13It is a different thing that then 20 songs were made.
07:16Today 200 songs are made.
07:18That is why the quantity of everything has increased.
07:20The quantity of waste work is more.
07:22But bad things happened then too.
07:24I think
07:26Aplam chaplam chaplai re
07:29I don't like this song.
07:30Please forgive me.
07:31If you say a mantra, what is this lyric?
07:33Then critics write that this is very bad, this is that.
07:36But it is old, so let it go in the old is gold.
07:38Bad things, good things happened then too.
07:41It happens today too.
07:42It depends on what kind of story you bring.
07:44If the director says in the story,
07:47sing this song, sing that song,
07:48then what is the fault of the musician?
07:50If you give a chance to the musician, he will make a refugee.
07:53Otherwise, they also give the same kind of music.
07:56Isn't it?
07:57I think it is a concept.
07:59If the director wants, he can get good work done.
08:01If the director wants, he can also get ordinary work done.
08:05Sonu Nigam, who sang holding his father's finger in the LPG hall in Delhi,
08:10is at this level today.
08:12What do you have to say?
08:14I have always said one thing,
08:18that my status is still there.
08:22I mean, no matter how many people,
08:25sorry, forgive me.
08:26No matter how many people say about me,
08:29or tell me again and again,
08:30how do you feel today?
08:32I never want to feel anything.
08:34I used to sing for 50 rupees in Delhi.
08:39When I was very young, 50 rupees per show.
08:41After that, it was 150 rupees.
08:43Then it was 250 rupees.
08:45Then it was 200 rupees.
08:46Then it was 250 rupees.
08:47Then it was 350 rupees.
08:48Then it was 350 rupees.
08:49Then it was 400, 450 rupees.
08:51At last, when I left Delhi to come to Mumbai,
08:55then I used to take 600 rupees per show.
08:58So basically my status is the same.
09:00I still feel that money should be saved.
09:03Should not waste money.
09:05Shoes should not be bought expensive.
09:08I wear my shoes very old.
09:10Believe me, I wear my shoes 6-7 years old.
09:12Because I feel, how can I buy expensive shoes?
09:15Even today, my expenses are only on my clothes.
09:19Because I do shows and all.
09:20And I spend more on food.
09:22Otherwise, I don't have any other expenses.
09:24Neither do I drink, nor do I do that.
09:25So coming to this point,
09:26I still feel very ordinary.
09:28Because I used to hear these things,
09:31that when a person is in the world of glamour,
09:35then his life is desolate from inside.
09:37But my life is not desolate.
09:39But it is very ordinary.
09:40Because my daily routine is also like that of any good person.
09:47I mean, we wake up in the morning,
09:49work, go to sleep at night.
09:51It is not that we go to parties,
09:52and people are sitting there,
09:54listening to the stars and all.
09:56Neither do I go to parties,
09:57nor do I go to any function,
09:58nor do I go to any such place,
10:02where I feel that I am a special entity.
10:05So, my lifestyle is like that.
10:07And one thing,
10:11when I think about it from inside,
10:15I feel a lot of love for God.
10:19I feel a lot of happiness.
10:20And the more I can do for Him,
10:23the less I can do.
10:24I feel that how He gave our family,
10:28which we used to think a long time ago,
10:30that when we would get some money,
10:33we would buy this.
10:34When we would get some money,
10:36we would buy that.
10:37So, God showed that time to us,
10:40to our family,
10:41to my parents,
10:42to my sisters,
10:43to me,
10:44so that we could say that
10:46we can buy this now.
10:48So, I feel very happy about this.
10:51For example,
10:52in Siddhi Vinayak,
10:53when I used to go every Tuesday,
10:55I used to buy a prasad of Rs. 1.25.
10:58It had one modak ladoo
11:00and one red flower.
11:03And at that time,
11:05I used to think that
11:06if I could get a modak box,
11:08which was Rs. 10 at that time,
11:10at that time,
11:11when I was 17 years old,
11:12I used to think that
11:13if Kumar Shanu ji would be standing here,
11:15he would have so much money,
11:16he can buy my box.
11:17It's amazing.
11:18He can buy it,
11:19but I can't afford it.
11:20When will the time come
11:21when I can buy a modak box
11:22with my own money?
11:24So, I realized that day,
11:26suddenly I realized that
11:27it's amazing,
11:28God gave me that time
11:29that I can buy a modak box.
11:31So, for this,
11:32I am very thankful to God.
11:36And I always keep this in my mind
11:38that this thing should never leave my mind
11:40that this is my status.
11:42I don't have to forget this.
11:50As far as I am concerned,
11:52success has made me more old.
11:55I have changed so much
11:58that I have become old.
12:00I think I have become old
12:01because of my mind.
12:02Now,
12:03to think and see everything
12:05with maturity.
12:07And,
12:08a person is deprived of many things
12:11at one time
12:12during his struggle.
12:14For example,
12:15I was very fond of bike riding,
12:16but I could never afford a bike.
12:18So,
12:19now,
12:20I am not even fond of that thing.
12:21Now,
12:22I have matured in this matter
12:24that many of my wishes
12:26which could not be fulfilled,
12:28I have become disillusioned.
12:30I don't have any wish.
12:32As far as my family is concerned,
12:34I am the same as my family.
12:35I am the same as my friends.
12:37And,
12:38I have generally shown that
12:40my friends
12:42change before me.
12:43Before I change,
12:44they change before me.
12:45They say,
12:46why is he hitting Sonu?
12:47He will think he is a star.
12:48I don't know what he is.
12:49So, I meet him first.
12:50I say,
12:51how are you?
12:52He says,
12:53talk to me.
12:54Earlier,
12:55I used to hug you.
12:56Now,
12:57I hug you.
12:58So,
12:59before I change,
13:00people change for me.
13:01So,
13:02good friends
13:03are saved for me.
13:04And,
13:05those who are more arrogant,
13:06I greet them.
13:07How do you like
13:08your father's singing?
13:09He sings very beautifully.
13:10He sings very well.
13:11My father flops me
13:12on the stage.
13:13When I sing,
13:14after that,
13:15when my father comes on the stage,
13:16after that,
13:17people say,
13:18send daddy,
13:19send daddy,
13:20send daddy,
13:21send daddy,
13:22send daddy.
13:23It happens like this.
13:24Because,
13:25my father is a very good singer
13:26but,
13:27he didn't learn much music.
13:28He is a natural singer,
13:29basically.
13:30He has a lot of thoughts
13:31in his voice.
13:32And,
13:33he never taught me
13:34to sit and practice.
13:35He never taught me
13:36to sit and practice.
13:37But,
13:38he has made mistakes.
13:39I used to sing a lot
13:40in my childhood.
13:41I used to sing all day long.
13:42Night,
13:43day,
13:44in the bathroom,
13:45in the kitchen,
13:46while playing,
13:47I used to sing everything.
13:48So,
13:49my father used to tell me,
13:50what are you doing?
13:51You are singing wrong.
13:52Make it long.
13:53Make the breath long.
13:54Add this line.
13:55Add this line.
13:56Make the heart not separate.
13:57I am saying,
13:58in any tune.
13:59So,
14:00he used to correct me
14:01in these things.
14:02So,
14:03he taught me
14:04the nuances of music.
14:05So,
14:06he is my natural guru.
14:07Do you get angry
14:08at anything?
14:09A lot.
14:10I used to get very angry
14:11in the past.
14:12Now,
14:13I am in control.
14:14I am very short tempered.
14:15But,
14:16there are many reasons
14:17for getting angry.
14:18I don't let myself
14:19get angry.
14:20I get angry
14:21when I
14:22get angry
14:24by thinking
14:25this.
14:26You will think,
14:27what I am saying.
14:28I get angry
14:29at people
14:30who are
14:31ill-mannered
14:32or
14:33talk
14:34in a
14:35modernized
14:36way
14:37which
14:38has
14:39no logic
14:40and
14:41no meaning.
14:42And,
14:43people
14:44who
14:45do
14:46bad
14:47things
14:48for
14:49their
14:50country
14:51or
14:52their
14:53country.
14:54I get angry
14:55at these things.
14:56I don't get angry
14:57at anything else.
14:58A small child
14:59was made
15:00a mag-thief
15:01very soon.
15:02Do you ever
15:03get angry
15:04because
15:05you leave
15:06everything
15:07and play
15:08in the village?
15:09Yes.
15:10But,
15:11I don't
15:12get angry
15:13at all.
15:14I tolerate
15:15those things.
15:16Sometimes,
15:17when I
15:18get a chance,
15:19I get angry
15:20if I
15:21If I go there, then I sit alone for hours.
15:26I sit alone and enjoy the silence. I like silence a lot.
15:30I enjoy the silence in it.
15:32Okay, Sonu ji, earlier you used to sing on stage yourself.
15:36Yes.
15:36Now you sit and listen.
15:38Someone seems to be out of tune, someone seems to be out of tune.
15:41So how do you feel?
15:42Should I put him aside and tell him to sing properly?
15:46Where?
15:47In the beginning, your stage was on stage.
15:50Yes, right now.
15:51Do you still listen to it today?
15:53For example, you go to a concert as a chief guest.
15:57Okay, okay.
15:58So you must be thinking that he should sing like this and not like that.
16:02So how do you feel about that?
16:04I do feel it.
16:06The one whose ears are a little fixed,
16:10it happens like this on their face.
16:12It is like this, which can be embarrassing at times.
16:15But I never...
16:18There are some people, you are right,
16:20there are some people who come over-smart and say,
16:23not like this, son, sing like this, son, do this, do that.
16:26I feel very bad about it.
16:27Because every person, as long as you are not someone's guru,
16:30don't correct him.
16:32Or he may have given you the position of a guru.
16:34As long as you are not his guru,
16:35as long as you are not his father,
16:36as long as you are not his brother,
16:37as long as you are not his friend,
16:37then don't correct him.
16:39If you don't know someone, then don't correct him.
16:41Because if you correct him, he will be hurt.
16:43Praise him.
16:44And if you have to tell him a mistake,
16:45then with a lot of love,
16:47I mean, wrap a stone around his neck,
16:50so that he doesn't feel it.
16:51You should do it like this.
16:52Sir, tell us a small incident,
16:55which made you very happy.
16:58There are many incidents.
17:00One of them is that,
17:02once I was doing a program with Mehndi Singh sahib on TV.
17:08So, I heard that he is a very,
17:13he is very Pakistani and he is against India.
17:17Someone had said that,
17:18Mr. Mehndi Singh speaks on behalf of India.
17:21How would I know?
17:22I had heard it from someone.
17:24So, when I met him, he turned out to be different.
17:28God and India,
17:31my country, I was born in India, this and that.
17:34I felt so good meeting him.
17:35I said, it's amazing,
17:36how people talk and he is such a secular person.
17:40He is praising both India and Pakistan.
17:42I felt very good.
17:44After that, he couldn't sit.
17:46He had an accident or had some problem.
17:49So, he needs someone's support to sit.
17:51So, when I used to ask him to sing in the village,
17:54I had to help him to sit.
17:56So, a few people used to come to catch him.
17:59So, he had to take off his shoes to sit.
18:02So, before this, he used to bend down.
18:04So, I used to take off his shoes myself.
18:06I used to separate them from his hands.
18:08Then I used to make him wear shoes.
18:09So, when he saw me like this twice,
18:11he kissed me on my cheek.
18:14He took the mic from me and said,
18:16this boy is a real artist.
18:18He praised me a lot.
18:19He blessed me a lot.
18:22I was crying in his eyes.
18:24And I was crying too.
18:25Because meeting such a great person and getting such blessings,
18:27I feel that he is a very emotional person.
18:31There are many such incidents that are very important to me.
18:35And I would like to always cherish it throughout my life.
18:38Sir, like there is a Ghazal or a folk song,
18:42nowadays, pop songs or remix songs are being made by breaking them.
18:48Look, I am like you all.
18:51I also feel that the authenticity of anything should not be damaged.
18:55Whether it is a Ghazal or a folk song,
18:57its purity should be maintained.
19:01But the problem is that if it is seen technically,
19:04if it is seen with a shopkeeper,
19:07then people are not even accepting folk music and Ghazal in its pure form.
19:13People's souls are in such a hurry that they do not have time to pay attention to Ghazals and folk music.
19:23So at least through a remix, or at least through a fusion,
19:27or by incorporating a little western music,
19:30by adding a little good beat,
19:33some folk music, for example, the songs of Ilaji Arunji,
19:38the Rajasthani folk,
19:40if there is a little western beat in it,
19:43then at least people have to accept that the generation that is being born now,
19:47those who were born in 1990, 2000,
19:50they would know what Rajasthani folk is.
19:53There is a little western music in it, but what will be the Rajasthani folk?
19:56And what is Punjabi folk?
19:58Or U.P. folk, like Bijuria.
20:02Bijuria is a style of U.P. folk.
20:05At least people have to accept that U.P. folk should be of this kind.
20:10So I also feel that it should be emphasized on purity.
20:14But the market has changed.