Sonu Nigam speaks on his career, professional rivalry with Abhijeet, Himesh Reshammiya and last but not the least, his married life being in in trouble.
Why are you not judging Indian Idol 3?
I had done TVS Saregama for five years and left it when I felt I've had enough. It's the same with Indian Idol, bahut ho gaya.
Rumour was that you felt Sandeep Acharya didn't deserve to win the title of Indian Idol 2?
There is some truth to that. I've never felt that he was undeserving but yes, I've felt there were singers who were far more talented than him and any one of them should have won it. Maybe, I've lost interest because the standard of competition had declined. But I've enjoyed every moment then but I can't judge it now.
Has success changed you?
Yes. 15 years back I would get jealous and insecure if my girlfriend had to skip our date. Today, I'm happily married. I've become more patient with a lot of things. The most important change in me has been the change of attitude towards my music. For me sa re ga ma pa is sacred now.
It must be satisfying when you are acknowledged as the number one singer in the country today?
Definitely, the feeling is nice. Though, I really don't believe in these titles. Also, there are far better singers in our country than me. (Smiles) But yes, when it comes to playback singing, I know I'm good, sometimes very good, most of the time excellent.
How do you deal with the politics in the music industry?
Honestly, I'm way above the inane politics that exist in the music industry today. I'm only concerned about my singing. I tell myself that I should not look foolish when I share the mike with brilliant singers like Suresh Wadkarji or Hariharanji.
How do you react to the nasty comments made by Himesh Reshammiya about you?
I have never reacted to anything he has said, neither do I have the inclination to keep a track of what he is saying about me. Apparently, he said, I've started wearing jackets and caps after he wore them. I laugh when I hear about it. But I will never stoop to a level where I'll compare myself with him. I can only say that he has just tasted success. It will take him time to digest it. I don't want to create controversies like him to be in the news.
Abhijeet in an interview, has blamed you, for his ouster from the Shah Rukh Khan camp.
Ask Shah Rukh Khan about that, he may be able to give a better answer. All I can is that I really don't want to lose sleep over comments made by some singers. Moreover, Abhijeetda has got quality songs in his career, so have I. And we both should be happy. Why brood and feel jealous about other people's success. Apna kaam karo na yaar. Four decades from now, will anyone remember either of us? We will be gone by then. So, why create unnecessary bitterness and spoil your relationships.
Lastly, there are talks about your married life being in trouble.
People have written all sorts of things about me because I've been an actor and a singer. But I will never talk about my personal life to anyone. People may say I have 25 wives and 50 children in all the states of India, it doesn't bother me. All these rumours have had no effect on me or anyone close to me. I would not like to give them importance by clarifying them.
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