When Sunidhi Chauhan comes to town and you get the chance to meet her, you warm up for the interaction by grooving and moving to some of her most popular tracks and that is exactly what we did.
We started with the mystical Mehboob Mere from Fiza, moved to Crazy Kiya Re with the charming as-ever Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead and slowly, progressed to tracks like Sheila Ki Jawani that made Katrina Kaif the hottest thing around the block and of course, the sensational Ra Ra Rakkamma.
What we are getting at is that Sunidhi’s vocals are as versatile as they get and her range is impressive. This is also the first thing that we tell her as we begin our chat with her ahead of her Red Bull Off The Roof performance. And while she is grateful for all the work she has done, so far, Sunidhi tells us that she is only getting started.
“It’s a great time for musicians. The youth today is sensitive enough to understand the music and thanks to social media, there’s an audience for every kind of music. Any artiste who is true to their craft can go out there and perform and they will find their audience. You don’t need to feel scared anymore and worry about whether labels will pick your music. You can become a sensation on your own and it has also given me the confidence to focus on independent music,” she shares.
However, for someone who has been in the industry for the last thirty years and as someone who started her journey at the age of five, it is strange when she says that she has only just begun. But we believe her. The almost unmissable twinkle in her eye has us convinced.
While on the topic of starting at a very young age, we ask Sunidhi what advice she would give herself if she could travel back in time and after a thoughtful pause, she says, “Nidhi (her original name), do take rest sometimes.”
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Sunidhi further reveals that as a child artiste, she did not get to play with her friends regularly or attend school but has no regrets about it. “I have no bad feeling about it because everything that happened then has led me here. Even then, I just wanted to sing. Thankfully, my parents supported me. They said it’s okay if I don’t want to study anymore, it’s fine. I have not really studied after the tenth standard. But I studied music in my own way and it has been my everything,” she shares.
At present, Sunidhi is touring around the country with her eclectic performances and her new-found free-spirited sense of style. She has half of social media convinced that she will soon join the league of Shakira and talking about this all-new avatar, she shares, “I am glad people think that I have gone through some sort of evolution. But the truth is for me, it was about getting fitter and getting better. I always sing live so I need to make sure that I can sing for four hours on stage and not be left breathless. So yes, I am just focusing on exercising every day and keeping myself healthy.”
Alongside, Sunidhi is also focusing on the independent music space and looking forward to exploring its many facets. “There are so many things that I want to do in the independent space. There will be more songs coming up. I am also singing some film songs and they will keep releasing. There’s a lot happening and I think we just have to wait and watch,” she signs off.
Tum Kehte Ho streaming on all audio platforms.
Mail: muskankhullar@newindianexpress.com
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