Sonu Nigam

Early and personal life

Sonu Nigam was born on 30 July 1973 to Agam Kumar Nigam and Shobha Nigam in the city of Faridabad, Haryana. His father was from Agra and his mother was from Garhwal. He has two sisters – Meenal Nigam, a yoga therapist, and Teesha Nigam, a professional singer.

Nigam began singing at the age of four, when he joined his father Agam Kumar Nigam on stage to sing Mohammed Rafi's song "Kya Hua Tera Wada". Nigam began accompanying his father on his singing appearances at weddings and parties. He moved to Mumbai with his father to begin his Bollywood singing career at the age of 19. He was trained by Hindustani classical singer Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.

Nigam identifies as Hindu. He married Madhurima Mishra on 15 February 2002. They have a son.

Nigam had changed his name to Sonu Niigaam citing numerology beliefs, but later decided to go back to his birth name.

Career

1990s: Beginnings

Sonu Nigam began his career in early 1990s, initially overshadowed by Udit Narayan and Kumar Sanu. His first song for a film was "O Aasmanwale" from Aaja Meri Jaan (1993). He gained recognition with TV serial song "Hum To Chhaila Ban Gaye" from Talash (1992) and later for songs "Accha Sila Diya" (Bewafa Sanam), "Sandese Aate Hai" (Border), and "Yeh Dil Deewana" (Pardes). His album Deewana (1999) became popular.

2000s: Career peak

Notable hits include "Suraj Hua Maddham", "You Are My Soniya" (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), "Panchi Nadiya Pawan Ke" (Refugee), "Tanhayee" (Dil Chahta Hai), and "Kal Ho Naa Ho" (Kal Ho Naa Ho), which earned him a National Film Award and Filmfare Award. He also performed internationally and released tribute albums for Mohammed Rafi such as Rafi Resurrected.

2010–present: Later career and collaborations

He sang "Chori Kiya Re Jiya" (Dabangg), "Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin" (Agneepath), and "Tere Bin" (Wazir). Nigam collaborated internationally with Britney Spears, Avicii, Jermaine Jackson, and kshmr. He performed major live concerts worldwide, including "Rafi Kishore aur Main" (UK, 2021), and launched his NFT series. Nigam also launched the label 'I Believe Music' in 2020.

Other works

As a host and judge

Nigam was the host of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa music show from 1995 until 1999 and became household name. He returned on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs International as a judge with Suresh Wadkar in October 2007. Nigam was a celebrity judge on the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Mega Challenge grand finale on 12 December 2009.

Nigam hosted the TV show Kisme Kitna Hai Dum on Star Plus in 2002. He appeared as the judge on Indian Idol in seasons 1 (October 2004 – March 2005) and 2 (November 2005 – April 2006), and was a celebrity judge in seasons 3 (17 August 2007) and 4 (16 January 2009 and 6 February 2009).

In 2006, Nigam hosted Life Ki Dhun with Sonu Nigaam on Radiocity 91.1 FM, interviewing musicians. He appeared as a celebrity judge on STAR Voice of India in August 2007 (Season 1) and in December 2008 (Season 2), and on the grand finale of music reality show Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star on 12 July 2008. Nigam was a judge/mentor on Chhote Ustaad – Do Deshon Ki Ek Awaaz (July – October 2010) with Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and was a judge/mentor on the first season of X Factor (India) (29 May – 2 September 2011) along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shreya Ghoshal. On 23 August 2015, he appeared on "The Anupam Kher Show" sharing his life experiences. He has been also one of the three judges of Indian Idol 2016–17.

Sonu has also hosted 3rd Mirchi Music Awards, 6th Mirchi Music Awards, 8th Mirchi Music Awards, 9th Mirchi Music Awards, 10th Mirchi Music Awards, 11th Mirchi Music Awards, 13th Mirchi Music Awards and 14th Mirchi Music awards In 2021, Sonu Nigam appeared as one of the judges in the Bengali music reality show Super Singer Season 3 on Star Jalsha, along with Kumar Sanu and Kaushiki Chakraborty.

Singing style and influence

Sonu Nigam is considered as one of the most versatile singers in the history of Indian music industry.{{cite web He is often compared to Mohammed Rafi for similar voice texture. Lata Mangeshkar said of him, "Among contemporary singers, I like Sonu Nigam best. He is serious about his music, has learnt classical and sings with confidence." Singer Armaan Malik takes a lot of inspiration from him. Singer and musician Ankit Tiwari cites Nigam as one of his musical inspirations. Shreya Ghoshal considers Sonu her favourite contemporary singer.{{cite video | url-status = live | url-status = live

Awards and honours

Nigam has received several major awards including the Padma Shri (2022), National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer (2004), multiple Filmfare Awards and Filmfare Awards South, and four IIFA Awards. He has also received an Oscar nomination in 2014 for the film Jal.

• 2004 – National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for "Kal Ho Naa Ho" – Kal Ho Naa Ho
• 2004 – Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for "Kal Ho Naa Ho" – Kal Ho Naa Ho
• Multiple years – IIFA Award for Best Male Playback Singer for songs including "Suraj Hua Maddham" and "Kal Ho Naa Ho"
• 2022 – Padma Shri
• Oscar nomination – 2014, Best Original Song for Jal (with Bickram Ghosh)
• Significant regional awards – Filmfare Awards South (Kannada), Zee Cine Awards, Screen Awards
• Other recognitions – Mirchi Music Awards, GIMA Awards, Lokmat Sur Jyotsna Award, Champions of Change Award, Doctorate from Teerthanker Mahaveer University

Discography

Main article: Sonu Nigam discography

As a music director

Filmography

Dubbing work

Television

Controversies

In 2015, Sonu Nigam alleged that he faced a ban from ZEE Music Company after expressing his support for Kumar Vishwas in a tweet.

On 16 April 2017 in a series of tweets he complained that amplified 'Azaan' (Muslim call for prayer) was forced religiousness. He tweeted,

1. " God bless everyone. I'm not a Muslim and I have to be woken up by the Azaan in the morning. When will this forced religiousness end in India."
2. " And by the way Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam.. Why do I have to have this cacophony after Edison?"
3. "I don't believe in any temple or gurudwara using electricity To wake up people who don't follow the religion. Why then..? Honest? True?"
4. " Gundagardi hai bus..."}}

In his later tweet he stated that he stands by his statement. He later clarified that he is not against any specific religious ritual, but against the use of loudspeakers on religious buildings. He said that the use of loudspeaker to create noise pollution should be stopped beyond certain time as per the law of the land, irrespective of whether it is from a temple, mosque, gurudwara, or any other place. Later, Sonu again sparked controversy, when he posted a video of Azaan from his home which proved that he was indeed disturbed very early in the morning. Syed Sha Atef Ali Al Quaderi, vice-president of West Bengal United Minority Council announced a reward of ₹10 Lakh to anyone who shaved Nigam's head, to which Sonu Nigam responded by shaving his own head to claim the reward. He deactivated his Twitter account in 2017 citing lack of freedom of speech, and said that sensible discussions were not possible due to the polarised atmosphere.

In June 2020, after the demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, Sonu Nigam posted a video saying that the music industry is also monopolised by two major companies and that he had also faced similar discrimination. He urged these music companies to be fair and kind to the newcomers in the music industry. Although he stopped short of naming anyone he made it clear that the malpractices in Bollywood are terrible and are almost killing the music talent of the country. Sonu Nigam maintained that he didn't name anyone and was only putting up his point of view regarding the malpractices in the music industry of Bollywood. In his second video Nigam names Bhushan Kumar, CEO of T-Series and tells him to stay away from him.

In February 2022, he was accused of working with Rocky and Mr Rehan Siddiqui, who are blacklisted based on recommendations of the Consulate General of India for malpractices and supporting Pakistan-based terror groups. When Rajender Singh Pahl, a show promoter from USA, had contacted him for performing at a concert, he recommended him to contact Rehan Siddiqui.

In December 2023, Omer Nadeem, a singer from Pakistan, accused Nigam of plagiarising his song "Aye Khuda" with the track "Sun Zara" released by T-Series (company). Sonu further clarified and wrote that "Just so you all know, I have nothing to do with this. I was requested to do the song by KRK (Kamaal R. Khan), who is my neighbour in Dubai . . . If I had heard Omer's version, I would have never sung it".

In May 2025, Sonu Nigam faced backlash and an FIR after linking aggressive demands to sing in Kannada at a Bengaluru concert to the Pahalgam terror attack, prompting outrage from pro-Kannada groups. Defending his remarks, Nigam claimed he was threatened and said his intent was to condemn hate, not the Kannada community.

References

References

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52. (9 March 2022). "Shershaah roars to victory at starry and mesmerising musical ceremony – Times of India".
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95. "Laaton ke MAFIA baaton se nahi maante".
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97. (25 February 2022). "'Sonu Nigam Gaddar' Fans Boycott Singer After It Was Reported He's Promoting Banned Artists".
98. "सोनू निगम के आरोपों पर राजेंदर सिंह पहल ने दी सफाई, पूछा, 'वह देशद्रोहियों के साथ क्यों करना चाहते हैं काम?'".
99. (14 December 2023). "Sonu Nigam breaks silence on controversy over Pakistani singer Omer Nadeem's plagiarism accusations". Hindustan Times.
100. (14 December 2023). "Sonu Nigam reacts to Pakistani singer Omer Nadeem's plagiarism accusations: 'I couldn't refuse Kamaal R Khan'". The Times of India.
101. (15 December 2023). "Sonu Nigam REACTS To Pakistani Singer Omer Nadeem's Plagiarism Claims: KRK Is My Neighbour, Couldn't Refuse...". Times Now.
102. Kidwai, Nehal. (3 May 2025). "Sonu Nigam Charged For 'Pahalgam' Response To Kannada Song Demand". NDTV.