On Sonu Nigam’s birthday, throwback to the time when he disguised himself as a street musician

Renowned Indian playback singer Sonu Nigam turns 51 today. He's also had a brief stint as an actor, but do you remember when he turned into a street musician?

In the last three decades, singer Sonu Nigam has won hearts with his tunes and notes in the Hindi film industry. As the singer turns 51 today, let's take a trip down memory lane to the time when Sonu donned a disguise and took to the streets of Mumbai to showcase his talent, and won hearts.

Sonu Nigam.

Blast from the past

Back in 2016, Sonu, known for his powerful vocals, transformed into a street musician, hiding his identity behind a fake beard, rugged clothes and shades. With harmonium in his hand, he sat on a corner of the street, and crooned his classic, the title track of Kal Ho Naa Ho.

He slipped into the disguise of a street performer in a video, titled The Roadside Ustaad. It was released on Culture Machine’s digital channel Being Indian as an experiment done on the busy streets of Juhu. It was to see how the pedestrians react to the singing of an old man.

In the video, passersby are seen stopping to listen, mesmerised by the soulful voice of the musician. As the crowd grew, so did the applause, and soon, people were showering him with money and praise. One person is even seen asking if he can record his voice on the phone. The experiment was a reflection of how music brings everyone together and knows no boundaries.

More about the video

At that time, Sonu spoke about the initiative, and said in a statement, “I went (on to do this video) without any expectations, totally bereft of any awkwardness for the way I was looking and what I was about to subject myself to. For the first time, I was not me. The make-up was so good and authentic that people standing so close to me, couldn’t recognise.”

“It was all so humbling. And from such an unfamiliar zone, I managed to procure something. Gratitude, grace and appreciation for what we have,” he added.

About his birthday plans

This year, Sonu will be celebrating his birthday with his extended family. He will spend the first half of the day with his select fans over a movie date. The documentary that will be screened in Mumbai is about his Dubai concert in February this year. It looks at a time when he lost his voice three days before the show and how he bounced back to perform a 3.5-hour show for close to 20,000 fans.

Talking about the plan, Sonu says, “We ended up making something so special that we decided to share it with our soulmates, who others call fans. People who love you and follow your work live your life vicariously. So, when something as eventful as my experience during the Dubai concert happened, I decided to document it and felt like making my extended family a part of it.”