Childhood was anything but normal for Sonu Nigam, yet the acclaimed singer says emphasis he was like any other normal kid. “My father had a transferable job so I changed a lot of schools as a child. We stayed mainly in Delhi and Mumbai but I got the opportunity to study in seven schools till I reached Class VII. I also did my graduation in correspondence,” he says.
Since meeting new people was regular for him, he had no issues facing an audience veen at a tender age. “I was earning from the time I was three-and-a-half years old,” he says.
As a student his life in school revolved mainly around his shows, sports and academics. In that very order.
“I was a great lover of cricket and wished to pursue a career in the game till I broke my hand in a bike accident. After that I switched to playing badminton and table tennis,” he says. The accident changed the course of things for Nigam who focused completely on his musical career.
“Both my parents were very good singers and they were the first influence on me,” he says. “After my father, I credit Mohd Rafi saab, Manna De, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Ghulam Ali saab and other legends as my influence in music.”
Nigam is also known for standing his ground sternly in many matters. From making a stand at the Priyadarshini Mattoo case to being one of the first names to supprt AIDS awareness in India, he endorses everything he believes in. “I am famous and notorious for speaking my mind,” he says seriously. “I feel lucky that all the friends I have today know me as a honest person. That is all that counts in the long run for me.”
Published in Hindustan Times Next on October 5, 2006
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