Dubai is my favourite place, says Sunidhi Chauhan

When hit Netflix coming-of-age drama Never Have I Ever’s Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Devi Vishwakumar) and costar Richa Moorjani (Kamala) wanted to bond outside work, guess what they did? Groove to one of Bollywood’s most sultry item numbers, the iconic Sheila Ki Jawani, rendered by Sunidhi Chauhan from the 2010 hit film Tees Maar Khan.

With over 1 million views and counting the duo’s sizzling dance routine to the chart busting Bollywood number is testimony to the timeless appeal of Chauhan’s melodious voice. But the award-winning singer is humility personified when we bring this to her attention, acknowledging she had not seen it and promising to check out the performance that went viral as soon as the duo put it out on their social media platforms.

“If that has received such a great response then I’m very happy,” she tell us over a recent Zoom call. “It only adds more age and more years to my work. Thank you for sharing that with me!”

Timeless music

The modern music industry, worldwide as well as in India, has often been accused of sacrificing melody at the altar of viral hits that often don’t last beyond the current club season.

However, Sunidhi’s voice has an ageless charm that has seen many of her hit numbers from yore still retain their freshness. Be it the sizzling Crazy Kiya Re from Dhoom, the peppy Dilliwaali Girlfriend, the melodious Chor Bazaari (Love Aaj Kal) or the playful Kaisi Paheli Zindagi (Parineeti) the romantic Ishq Sufiyana, there is a Sunidhi Chauhan song for every momentous occasion in life today.

“In concerts I have made sure that I make these songs sound new and current always,” she tells us. Anyone who has heard her onstage rendition of Mast (1999) will bear testimony to this.

“But I would like to give all credit to my composers, it is their tunes; it is Vishal-Shekhar with Sheila Ki Jawani; it is Vishal Bharadwaj ji for Beedi (Omkara) or Pritam for Dhoom Machale. I have been so lucky to have so many chart busters and like you said they still have a place, people still want to dance to them and remake them. All these songs have got an evergreen quality and I’m so happy that I’m a part of these.”

Live in Dubai

Sunidhi marks her return to the stage after nearly a year with her Dubai concert Beintehaa at the Coca-Cola Arena on Friday, August 27. She last performed live in February 2020.

“I haven’t ever performed in a live gig (after that). I’m super excited that I’m getting to do this in Dubai. It is my favourite place and I love to perform for the Dubai audience. They are brilliant, they are so enthusiastic and they just love every kind of song and enjoy to the fullest. I’m looking forward to performing for them!”

The voice behind many of Bollywood’s greatest hits over the years, Sunidhi has taken her lyrical numbers across the world. As someone who started performing from a very young age, what is her ideal audience? “I’ve been lucky to have a great audience almost everywhere I have performed,” she says. “People just love me for me, they love to see me enjoying on stage with my music. It's the vibe basically.”

She says while she doesn’t plan ahead on how to interact with the audience or how she will sing a particular song, she prefers to “go with the flow.”

“I make sure they feel engaged with me. I make sure they are entertained, so it is the exchange that makes it all look so amazing.”

She adds that she doesn’t get offended even if she notices someone in the audience is distracted. “They have all the right to enjoy the show the way they want to.” She points out what she likes the most about Dubai audience is that - “they respond to the songs pretty well.”

When Sunidhi went ‘berserk’

Sunidhi started singing at the age of four and went on to perform in live events as well as Bollywood playbacks from a young age. As a 12-year-old girl who came into national limelight when she won the musical reality show Meri Awaz Suno, she has literally grown up in the music industry.

Unlike the previous generation today singers no longer just need to be heard, they need to be seen and project themselves as a complete entertainment package, be it strutting their stuff on stage or appearing in their own glam videos.

Looking back at her younger days in the industry, Sunidhi says from the moment she started doing stage shows she has always enjoyed herself.

“At first I never used to move a lot or dance because I was very shy,” she admits. “But that slowly got better when I turned 14-15 and then I just totally lost the plot after I started singing my own songs (with a laugh) on stage.

Catch Sunidhi Chauhan live at the Beintehaa show at Coca-Cola Arena on Friday, August 27. The show is part of Dubai Summer Surprises' events and produced by Blu Blood. Tickets for show available through Dubai Calendar, coca-cola-arena.com and PlatinumList