BizAsia special: 19 years of Sunidhi Chauhan
She is blessed with a voice that has won the hearts of millions, whether it is romantic��or fast or sensuous, you want it and you get it. Such is the voice of the unmatchable Sunidhi�� Chauhan. Today, marks the songstress’ 19th anniversary in the music industry and what better way to celebrate this achievement than to look back at those unforgettable, life-changing events of the singer’s life?
Born on 14th August 1983, Chauhan made her mark in the Bollywood music scenario very early in her life.��An immensely talented singer, Chauhan started singing when only four years of age until she was discovered by a TV anchor, Tabassum and encouraged to shift base to Mumbai to pursue a career in singing. After coming to Mumbai she got the opportunity to be the lead in the troupe known as ‘Little Wonders’. This troupe was organised by Kalyanji of Kalyanji-Anandji music composer duo. Recently, Tabassum praised Chauhan by saying she sang really well the first time she heard her sing. And she also said, “I told Sunidhi’s father to get her to Mumbai and work in Bollywood. I even gave him my home address. I told her father that if she sings in my stage show, it will not benefit her career. I told him to go to Kalyanji’s office and say I had sent him. I called Kalyanji and told him I was sending him a birthday present — it was his birthday that day.”
In the year 1996, Chauhan participated��in the first ever televised music contest, ‘Meri Awaz Suno’. She won the show and bagged the opportunity to record a music album with HMV as a part of the prize. Like this, Chauhan recorded her first album ‘Aira Gaira Nathu Khaira’.��Chauhan landed into the globe of popular playback music by singing for the film ‘Shastra’ (1996). However, the first milestone in her career came when she crooned the classic Ruki Ruki Thi Zindagi from Ram Gopal Verma’s film ‘Mast’ (1999). The song became really popular and Chauhan was an overnight star. The music was composed by Sandeep Chowta and lip-synced on screen by actress Urmila Matondkar. Since then, there has been no looking back. She has belted out numerous chart-busters in not just Hindi but also many regional languages. She has paired with some of the most famous and talented singers of Bollywood to give in-numerous hits to the Indian Cinema. She has worked with almost all big names in the field of Bollywood music. Her list of music composers include A.R. Rahman, Anu Malik, Vishal-Shekhar, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Pritam, Jatin-Lalit and more. Internationally, she has collaborated with Enrique Iglesias, on the song titled as ‘Heartbeat’ (India Mix) which was included on a Special Indian Edition of ‘Euphoria’.
Chauhan is one of the leading playback singers of Bollywood, she has voiced the top leading ladies of Bollywood starting from Rekha, Sridevi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Priyanka Chopra, Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor Khan to Deepika Padukone and more. There isn’t a single actress who doesn’t dream to be voiced by Chauhan. She has a unique style and a blessed voice which has got a distinctive and fast characteristic. And this is the reason which makes her unique and her songs so popular which can induce goose-bumps and increased heart beat to every music listener. Her devotion to music, her magic has made her one of the most respected personalities in the music industry. Many including Priyanka Chopra, Siddharth Mahadevan, Aditi Singh Sharma, Shalmali Kholgade and Farhan Akhtar have often stated that she is their favorite contemporary singer because of her style of singing, versatility and attitude.
Chauhan has a voice that mesmerizes everyone; one cannot overlook the Queen of Music who has captured hearts worldwide. Words fail to express the depth and scope of her genius. With a slew of prestigious awards under her belt, including Filmfare Award for Sheila Ki Jawani from ‘Tees Maar Khan’ (2010), Mirchi Award for Ishq Sufiyana from ‘The Dirty Picture’ (2011) or PTC Punjabi Film Award for Patang Wali Dor from Sirphire (2012), the popular singer has added one more shiny trophy to her ever-growing collection of awards. The unstoppable pop powerhouse that is Chauhan was honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Kamli from ‘Dhoom 3’ (2013), recognizing her career achievements and influence on the music industry. Her achievements and eminence is so great that words fall short of describing the greatness and contributions made by her playback singing to Indian cinema. The subject of Indian music and cinema is incomplete without mentioning her name. Chauhan may be an extremely popular singer in Bollywood today, but has her feet grounded.
In addition to her outstandingly successful singing career, Chauhan has also devoted a considerable amount of time to various charitable concerns. She has performed for several charity causes such as You We Can to raise money for Yuvraj Singh’s foundation or Mahindru Foundation, to raise awareness and funds for eye donations. Chauhan is not only a great artist, but also someone who cares deeply about people. The list of charities she supports is both long and varied. Recently, Chauhan was a part of the global sing-along of John Lennon’s Imagine, along with 50 A-list international artists for a promotional��video for UNICEF Imagine, an initiative uniting millions of people to raise awareness and funds for children’s rights globally. “It’s a fantastic experience to be a part of UNICEF child rights and to represent India on a global platform with international artistes. And then, to sing Imagine is a dream come true,” she says. Chauhan encourages individuals, especially her younger fans, to always stand by what you believe in. That is what makes Chauhan special for her fans known as the ‘SC Family’.
In the next chapter of her career, Chauhan certainly seems dedicated to breaking new ground. “I want to do more independent albums now. Singles give you much more freedom to do what you want to do as compared to film songs. Hopefully, I’ll come out with a few singles this year.” she revealed. There’s something about Chauhan. Even when she’s not trying, she’s absolutely amazing. At just 31 years old, she’s at the top of her game both personally and professionally. “I fell in love with Sunidhi Chauhan’s singing before I fell for her.” says her husband and music composer Hitesh Sonik. The couple married in 2012, since then they sparked the flame of a cute and successful love relationship.
Chauhan is undoubtedly the most versatile singer in the music industry today. Her music is consistently excellent (if you’re into that sort of thing). One of the reasons why Chauhan is so successful is because she always knew what she wanted to do since she was a little girl. Her dad actually helped her to become the best she can possibly be. The only thing she ever did in her life was sing. Every since she was a little girl, she was a singer. As said Lata Mangeshkar she is the numero uno.
On this occasion we wish the talented singer many more years of fame and success. We also hope that she continues��to give us many more melodious songs to hum in the years to come. Her soulful voice will always bring life to every song.
