“I have the best of both worlds” – Sunidhi Chauhan

By Rajiv Vijayakar -

September 21, 2012 - 3:24 AM IST

You could call her the youngest veteran. Not just because dozens of singers have come in after her, but also due to the fact that though this voice of Madhur Bhandarkar's

“I have the best of both worlds” – Sunidhi Chauhan

Heroine ('Halkat Jawani') began singing for big-name heroines only in 1999 with 'Ruki Ruki Thi Zindagi' (Mast), Sunidhi Chauhan has

actually been around since the early '90s, she was the star attraction of Kalyanji-Anandji's globally-successful Little Wonders show.

Unfortunately, Sunidhi never got to record a song with the legendary maestros as they had quit the film industry scene by then, but she started out in playback by

recording (at the age of 11!) her first song for Aadesh Shrivastava - 'Ladki Deewani' in Shastra, the Suniel Shetty actioner. The year was 1995, so she

insists that she has been around for 17 years!

By concentrating more on shows, playback singers today spend more time performing live than in the recording studios, unlike in the eras of Lata Mangeshkar or

Alka Yagnik.
Yes, I am very busy with shows, but I have the best of both worlds because I am also getting to sing a lot of the better songs going from item numbers like 'Halkat

Jawani' (Heroine) and 'I Want Just You' (Joker) to melodious numbers like 'Gun Gunguna Re' (Agneepath) , 'Kyoon' (Barfi!) and

'Ishq Sufiyana' (The Dirty Picture) . In fact, this year's been quite good, with 'Main Teri Fan Ban Gayi' (Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya), 'Jab Se Mere Dil Ko Uff'

(Teri Meri Kahaani), 'Chokra Jawaan' (Ishaqzaade), 'Lamhe' (Vicky Donor), 'Disco Deewane' (Student Of The Year) and now also 'Ishqk In Paris'.

Do you think that your image has been again tweaked towards more of item numbers after 'Sheila Ki Jawani' in Tees Maar Khan?
Not at all. Last year I had 'Someone Somebody' (Tell Me O Kkhuda) and 'Aa Zaraa' (Murder 2) , which were not item songs at all. I find a nice balance.

Are you missing the composers that were active in your early days?
I think most of them are still around, though maybe not as busy as before. As a singer, I am very happy that I am getting to sing with all the big names today like Pritam,

Sajid-Wajid and Vishal-Shekhar to new-age talents like Amit Trivedi, Sangeet and Siddharth Haldipur and Sachin-Jigar.

How does it feel to have a rich repertoire of songs a mere 13 years after you really broke through?
I am very happy that all the composers have called me for every kind of song, and not just one kind, as was the case when I was singing 'Tu Sirf Mera Mehboob'

(Ajnabee) or 'Boomro' (Mission Kashmir) . And I feel nice that after I was accepted in the regular kind of heroine's songs and soft numbers, I still got the

cream of dance numbers like 'Dhoom Machaa Le' (Dhoom) and 'Beedi' (Omkara). And I want to thank music lovers for accepting me for such a

long time, over and over again.

Is there a genre you have never been given to sing?

Yes, and the one I want to really do is a ghazal. But I will not wait for a film ghazal to come, as it is almost unknown today as a female song. Instead, I am

planning a ghazal album.

How do you assess yourself as a singer today?
Oh, I see many shortcomings in me. I cannot share them and bring them to your attention! But I am forever trying to rectify whatever deficiencies I keep seeing in my

work. In any case, one can never be 100 percent perfect and if you think you are, you will soon be over.

For a while, it seemed that the era of confusion in film music had ended. But things seem to be moving back into a messy scenario of fly-by-night hooks masquerading

as songs. What do you have to say to this?
I think that there is a healthy two-way thing going. The new-age music people are being appreciated even as melody, as always, rules and music rooted in India, like that

of Sajid-Wajid and Himesh Reshammiya, continues to rule.

And what is your explanation of there being no new major force in music after Pritam and no female voice of depth after you and Shreya Ghoshal, who came in 2002.

I cannot answer the second question, because I think that only God can explain that! I would say that hard work is the most vital aspect of sustained success. Like I insist

on being satisfied with my singing before I allow the music director to pass my song. Then there are cases where a music director may admit that the composition is

average but they would like me to enhance it somehow. As they have put faith in me, it is my duty to do exactly that.

But among the competition, so to speak, I have never paid attention to who is doing what, who has made it and who is losing ground. I do my work not just as a job but with

passion. I am only sure of one thing - that if a singer is really nice, especially today, he or she never goes unnoticed. People are always eager to give you that one chance,

so maybe some singers do not know how to maintain the benefits they get from these opportunities despite having talent.

As for the music directors, I see potential in every new music director, especially when they give me good songs, like my song in Murder 2 that also won me

nominations.

Last year you recorded a song for Enrique Iglesias. In our first meeting at the time of Mast, you had expressed some international ambitions. What is you

stand now?
My version of 'Heartbeat' from Euphoria had a bit of Hindi too as the desi tadka. The collaboration was a great experience. Indian music is going

places and just as we listen to the greats from the West, they also listen to us today. Who does not want international recognition? If Indian culture today is so looked up

that Bryan Adams and Akon come here, why would we not want to go global? I would certainly like to expand my fan base, learn more about music from outside, grow in

the process, and also make Indian music reach a wider audience.
Having said that, my growth here is also important - as a film singer, and in newer Indian zones, like Rabindra Sangeet that I found very fulfilling last year.

Tags : Sunidhi Chauhan