Amitabh Bachchan drops major nostalgia, recalls singing with Sunidhi Chauhan during her childhood days
Mumbai, August 24 (IANS) Legendary superstar Amitabh Bachchan took a trip down memory lane on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati, as he recalled the time he first heard playback powerhouse Sunidhi Chauhan sing during her childhood.
Remembering the stalwart singer as a young singing prodigy, Amitabh Bachchan revealed that he had heard her perform at the music room of veteran composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji, where he would often spend time late into the night.
He also recalled sharing the stage with the young singer during an international performance at London’s Wembley Stadium, where she left an audience of nearly 80,000 to 90,000 people spellbound.
The megastar said, “Sunidhi… bahut se logon ko pata nahi hai ki jab yeh itni si thi, tab se hum inko sunte aa rahe hain. Kalyanji-Anandji bhai, jo prasiddh music directors the, unke music room mein hum log baithte the kai baar raat-beraat aur inka gaana sunte the. Itni si thi yeh, itna sundar inka gala tha.”
(Many people don’t know this, but we have been listening to her since she was very small. We used to sit in the music room of the famous music director duo Kalyanji-Anandji, sometimes late into the night, and listen to her sing. She was so tiny, but she had such a beautiful voice)
Recalling the international tour, Bachchan added, “Uske baad kya hua ki yeh jo shows jaate hain na videsh mein, yeh pehli baar aisa hua ki ek show mein jo kalakar jaayenge, woh swayam gaayenge. Toh Kalyanji bhai aur Anandji bhai ne bola ki yeh bhi jayengi aur aap bhi gaayenge.”
(After that, when these shows started taking place abroad, for the first time it was decided that the artists who went on the show would sing themselves. So Kalyanji bhai and Anandji bhai said that she would go too, and that I would also sing)
Big B went on to jokingly recall his apprehension about performing live alongside the young singer. He said, “Humne kaha, yaar dekho, hamara phate baans wali ek awaaz hai, kahan tum log humko le jaoge, public rahegi nahi.”
(I said, ‘Look, my voice sounds like a broken bamboo, where are you taking me? The audience won’t stay!’)
He revealed that they were called for regular rehearsals and that he would practise and sing alongside Chauhan.
“Aur roz bulate the riyaz karne ke liye wahan par aur inke saath gaana gaate the. Aur yeh itni si thi… Wembley Stadium mein karyakram hua tha. 80-90 hazaar logon ne woh karyakram dekha tha.”
(And they would call us every day for rehearsals there, and I would sing along with her. She was just this tiny. The programme took place at Wembley Stadium, and around 80,000 to 90,000 people watched it)
Recalling the response Chauhan received, Amitabh Bachchan said, “Aur yeh jab inhone gaana shuru kiya toh jo taaliyan padi hain aur jo inka samman hua hai, hum bata nahi sakte hain. Woh samajh nahi pa rahe the ki itni chhoti si bachhi jo hai, aise kaise ga sakti hai.”
(When she started singing, the applause she received and the honour she received cannot be described. People simply couldn’t understand how such a tiny little girl could sing like that)
–IANS
rd/
