Bollywood fever
Upcoming Indian singer Sonu Nigam to make his debut concert in Thailand
UMESH PANDEY
Bollywood hair apparent: Sonu Nigam will perform at Chulalongkorn University's auditorium on October 8.
Thailand, which has been witnessing "Bollywood fever" over the past few months, will get a taste of one of India's most sensational upcoming singers later this month when Sonu Nigam makes his first stage appearance in the country.
Despite the political upheaval that has taken place in Thailand, the 32-year-old singer plans to stage his show at Chulalongkorn University's auditorium on October 8, Atul Joghani, the show's organiser said.
Sonu Nigam, who recently returned from his North American tour, has said that he enjoys the thrill from the concerts rather than singing as a backstage singer for Indian movies.
The singer, whose latest songs in movies such as Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Krish, Fanaa, Bunty Aur Babli, Aur Pyar Ho Gya, Pardes, Dil Se and Taal, is expected to do his usual appearance of giving in to the demands of the audience for their requests.
Nigam, who was initially brushed aside as a new kid on the block, has now been started to be taken seriously after the title song from Kal Ho Naa Ho brought him numerous awards, including the National Award.
Nigam, who believes in luck and destiny playing a role in the success of Bollywood singers, was exposed to music in the early days of his life by his father, Agam Kumar Nigam, a popular singer in North India.
He started to sing at the tender age of three and gave his first public performance on stage when he sang popular songs by famous Indian singers such as the late Muhammad Rafi, a legendary singer of yesteryear.
Starting off as a performer at private and public functions with his parents, Nigam moved to Mumbai and started working as a child artiste in movies like Kaamchor, Ustadi Ustad Se, Hum Se Hai Zamana, Taqdeer and Beetab.
His talents were recognised at a singing competition by renowned Bollywood music director Anu Malik, who awarded him the top prize and encouraged him to continue singing to make it big in Bollywood, and the rest as they say is history.
The first breakthrough for the young talent came when the late Gulshan Kumar invited him to work with his recording company T-Series, although he had sung some songs in movies in the past, with the first one being at the young age of 18.
The song which led him to fame was Aacha Sila Diya Tune Mere Pyar Ka from the film Bewafa Sanam. Offers made their way and Nigam soon became a star of showbiz, recording his debut pop album entitled Sapnon Ki Baat, followed by another album Deewana.
Both of these albums generated an ocean of fame. Deewana led Nigam to the heights of his singing career and it was estimated that more than one million copies were sold, making it one of the highest selling albums during those years.
Nigam tasted real success in playback singing when he was invited to sing the song Yeh Dil Deewana for Subhash Ghai's film Pardes. This song made him the real superstar, a heartthrob in Bollywood.
This success helped him change his style of singing and he adapted the modern nuances of the western style singing merging it with classical Indian influences. Since then there has been no looking back for him.
Today the once relatively unknown singer is among the highest paid and most respected singers in Bollywood with almost all movies made in the industry having at least a song sung by him.
The humble hypnotist as he calls himself, who is a singer, composer, actor and host of popular Indian television series Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is set to mesmerise the audience in Thailand during his show.
Tickets for the concert are priced from 1,000 baht upwards. For more information and advanced booking, call 089-68 - 4406 or 086-618-1720.
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