Sonu Nigam is a Hindi film playback singer and pop singer from Haryana, India, born in 1973 and raised mainly in Delhi. He begins training in music with his father, Agam Kumar, a stage singer, and performs from an early age. At three, he gives his first public performance in Jind with the song “Kya Hua Tera Vaada”, and he later sings at birthdays, weddings and festivals with his father’s troupe.

Early life and training

He studies only up to the 12th standard in Delhi before moving to Mumbai, where he takes a correspondence degree course. Before finding regular success as a singer, he takes small acting roles in films. He also appears as a child actor in Kaamchor, Ustadi Ustad Se, Hum Se Hai Zamana, Taqdeer and Betaab.

As a child and teenager, he competes in many junior-level singing competitions and wins repeatedly to the point that organisers stop entering him in his own category and even in senior categories. He also performs on stage with his father before moving to Mumbai at 18, after which he stops live stage work because his father feels it may affect his future career.

Playback singing

He records his first film song for Aaja Meri Jaan, through composer Usha Khanna and Amar Utpal, although the song is later dubbed by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. He also records five songs for one film, but only the fifth reaches Gulshan Kumar of T-Series. The song that first makes him widely known is “Accha Sila Diya Tune Mere Pyar Ka” from Bewafa Sanam. After that, he receives many film offers and becomes recognised as a playback singer.

His film work includes songs for Border, Taal, Pukar, Refugee and Pyar Tune Kya Kiya. The bio also names “Sandese Aate Hain”, “Khamoshiyan Gungunane Lage”, “Suraj Hua Maddham” and “O Mama Mama” among the songs associated with his voice.

Television and pop albums

He hosts the music programme TVS Sa Re Ga Ma, later identified as Sa Re Ga Ma, and presents more than 200 episodes. The show gives him a wider audience and brings him into contact with leading commercial and classical musicians. He hosts the programme for five years before moving into film work.

In Indi-pop, he releases Sapnon Ki Baat for T-Series, then Deewana, which is described as a major success. After his association with T-Series changes, he releases an album with Kismat that goes platinum, followed by the bhajan album Sanskaar. He later releases Mausam, which he conceives and supervises, with music by Ravi Pawar and lyrics by Ajay Jhingran and Shahab Allahbadi. He also records Jaan and Yaad for T-Series, and the text notes his brief association with Magnasound before returning to the label.

Film work and screen appearances

Alongside singing, he takes acting roles and is described as working across playback singing, acting and pop performance. He acts in the film Love in Nepal as a hero.