Sonu Nigam, a well-known playback singer from India, is 51 today. He also briefly worked as an actor, but do you recall the moment he became a street musician?
Singer Sonu Nigam has captured hearts in the Hindi film business over the past thirty years with his melodies and notes. Let’s go back in time to when Sonu wore a disguise and performed for the Mumbai streets, winning hearts, as the musician celebrates his 51st birthday today.
Blast from the past
Known for his strong voice, Sonu changed his persona to become a street musician in 2016 by wearing gritty clothing, shades, and a false beard. He sang his hit song, Kal Ho Naa Ho, while perched on a street corner with a harmonium in his hand.
In a video dubbed The Roadside Ustaad, he disguises himself as a street performer. It was published as an experiment conducted on the crowded streets of Juhu on Culture Machine’s internet channel Being Indian. The purpose was to see how the elderly man’s singing affected the passing cars.
In the video, onlookers can be seen pausing to pay attention as they are drawn in by the musician’s ethereal voice. The clapping for him increased with the size of the gathering, and soon he was being showered with cash and accolades. A single individual may even be seen begging to have his voice recorded over the phone. The project served as a metaphor for how music transcends all barriers and unites people.
More about the video
“I went (on to do this video) without any expectations, totally bereft of any awkwardness for the way I was looking and what I was about to subject myself to,” Sonu said in a statement at the time, discussing the project. I was not who I was for the first time. Those who were standing so close to me were unable to recognize me because of how flawless and real the makeup looked.
Everything was really humble. And somehow, from this strange place, I obtained something. “Appreciation, grace, and gratitude for what we have,” he continued.
About his birthday plans
Sonu’s birthday will be celebrated with his entire family this year. He’s going to go to the movies with a few of his chosen admirers for the first part of the day. The documentary about his concert in Dubai in February of this year will be shown in Mumbai. It examines his vocal breakdown three days prior to the performance and his subsequent recovery to play a 3.5-hour set for over 20,000 spectators.
“We ended up making something so special that we decided to share it with our soulmates, who others call fans,” Sonu adds, discussing the strategy. Those who adore you and are inspired by your work experience your life through you. Thus, when anything as remarkable as what I went through in Dubai concert happened, I decided to document it and felt like making my extended family a part of it.”
