Saturday, February 22, 2003
Z E R O I N G  I N  O N . . .


The singer bitten by the acting bug
Aditi Tandon

Sonu Nigam: Singer with a new-found passion
Sonu Nigam: Singer with a new-found passion

NOT too long back we had this star singer kissing fame with every new track that he offered to his audiences. Leaving behind the critics' call that "Sonu can only imitate Mohammad Rafi," the determined singer went on to capture every emotion worth the name in his voice. So in one breath he sung "Bijuria" and in the other he sung the masterly musical sequences by A.R. Rahman, some of them from the film Dil se…. Dil Chahta Hai came with a bang and Sonu re-established his might with the very melancholy tune Tanhaiyi… (picturised on Aamir Khan).

From here things started taking a twist, but not so much for the better. When a quintessential singer starts attempting a romance with something he is probably not meant for, situations can become a bit difficult to handle. No wonder apprehensions marked Sonu Nigam's decision to launch himself with a rather drab film, Jaani Dushman. Ask the singer what made him do that and he candidly admits, "I would call it a blunder. Actually I was taken in by the fact that big faces were being cast in this film. I was being asked to join the list which already had names like Manisha Koirala, Aftaab, Akshay Kumar, Sunny Deol and some others. I thought there might have been a good reason for every famous actor to be a part of Jaani Dushman. I must admit that I was guided wrongly."

 


The transition proved costly, as was expected. "I always knew that it would not be easy to make a mark everywhere but I was very much inspired to enter films. And whenever I am deeply inspired, I don’t worry about the impediments that might come my way. Now that one mistake is over, I am not going to commit another, said the singer, who was in Chandigarh a few days ago to talk about his second foray into films.

Kaash Aap Hamare Hote, under Babbar Productions, was pitted to be a face-saver for Sonu Nigam, who had been assured that the storyline was very strong and so was his role in the film. When he was in the city, he talked at length about how Raj Babbar decided to launch him and Juhi Babbar in the lead roles of the family drama. He also talked about how passionately he felt about acting. "These days I am only concentrating on films and nothing else. Singing has taken a backseat for a while. I want to give my best to the field I choose to be in," said the singer, struggling to be an actor. Never mind the fact that back home many projects are waiting in line for Sonu who now stands bitten by the movie bug.

Explaining his newfound passion, Sonu said, "Acting is not something very fresh for me. I have been doing a bit of it in almost all the music albums that I have cut. They are, as such, all about a visual portrayal of emotions. I feel when I can do this through my voice, I should also be able to do it well with my face. I have been helped a lot by Raj Babbar, who has been a great source of inspiration and confidence."

While everyone in the Babbar Productions was keeping their fingers crossed for the film to do well at the box office, things did not turn out to be as rosy as were expected to. In fact, the story, reviews say, is old wine in a new bottle. This notwithstanding, individual efforts of Sonu and Juhi Babbar have been appreciated.

Hopeful still, the star (in any case) says, "I was lucky to court success as a singer. I did not have to struggle very hard there. So I cannot expect that everything in life will turn out to be smooth for me. I must also have my share of hardship so that I know how difficult it is to court success all the time."

Whatever the case, Sonu Nigam now seems to have a fresh mission in life. No matter how far or near he travels on the road to Bollywood, one thing is clear: Music will always be a passion with him.