Dubai: Bollywood playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan hardly celebrates her birthdays. Yet, this August 14 was a very special affair.
“It was my first birthday as a mum,” she said two days later.
Speaking to XPRESS from India, ahead of her Eid Al Adha concert at Dubai World Trade Centre on August 24, she said, “I spent my birthday shooting for a television performance and my seven-month-old son Tegh was with me on the sets. What more could I have asked for? He is with me wherever I go.”
- Sunidhi Chauhan, Bollywood Playback Singer
Does that mean he will be coming to Dubai as well?
“Of course,” said Sunidhi, even as she let on that the newborn has infused a new sense of energy in her performances. “You can expect something different at my concert in Dubai this time, there’s a new feeling inside of me,” said the 35-year-old who last performed in the city two years ago.
She said the concert will feature many of her new releases, including Lae dooba, Mohabbat, Halka halka suroor and Main badhiya tu bhi badhiya.
No formal training
Ask her how many songs she has sung in her career so far and she humbly replies she has no idea. “I have never counted. I do not know how many movies or songs I have done.”
A critically acclaimed singer who is considered to have one of the best voices in Indian cinema, Sunidhi said she was never formally trained as a musician. “I started singing at the age of four and began recording when I was 11. The only time I did not do any music was between end-November 2017 and end-January, 2018. I started singing again on January 28 - just 28 days after Tegh was born.”
Sunidhi, who has judged several reality shows, said they are a great platform to unearth fresh talent with many becoming overnight stars. “But longevity depends on the individual.” She attributes her evergreen status to her sheer passion. “To succeed in anything, one must have the drive and passion. But if you look at it as a job, you will get tired of it.”
Matter of skill
The pulse of music, as she sees it, has changed drastically over the years. “Today, music has more to do with sound than skill. I am clear I want to do things that showcase my skill.”
Sunidhi, who has been cast in a short film Playing Priya, said she loves acting. “Most offers I have received in the past have been related to my music. But I want to try something as an actor, not a singer. I have been approached for some new projects but it is too early to talk about it.”
