Nayare Ali

HELLO!: Congratulations on your win! Given your ‘Powerhouse of Music’ title, could you share a few moments you feel most powerful?

Sunidhi Chauhan: “Thank you so much for this lovely recognition. I feel most powerful when I’m on stage with my audience in front of me. That’s the real me — a liberated, relaxed me. That freedom of being myself on stage has helped me evolve in my career. Being true to myself also extends to singing in recording rooms and delivering my best.”

H!: You’ve had a very illustrious career since the tender age of 13. What’s your advice to upcoming singers today?

SC: “Ensure that you listen to yourself first. People will give you all sorts of advice, appreciation and criticism. But you must know your best act, your shortcomings and your advantages. Work on them accordingly. Keep your mind open to everything. Just be in touch with yourself and find your Zen.”

H!: Share a goal you are determined to achieve in 2023.

SC: “I want to come up with a single this year. That’s one goal for sure. But overall, I live in the moment and take every day as it comes. If I plan something, I make sure to focus on it. I do have a desire to constantly improvise, be it in my songs or recordings.”

H!: Tell us about a milestone from the past year.

SC: “This year, on February 26, I had my ticketed concert at Wembley Arena in London. We somehow pulled off that show despite so many restrictions, when there was so much not in our favour. But it turned out to be the best show of my life.”

H!: Your song ‘Show Me the Thumka’ from Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar became quite the chartbuster...

SC: “It really did become famous. I even performed the song at a couple of shows, and the response has been massive. I remember how much fun it was to sing it in the studio. Shraddha Kapoor did a fab job with it, and I loved Ganeshji’s choreography. Even I shot my first Instagram dance Reel on it!”

H!: Do you have any favourites among your songs?

SC: “I have many favourites! One song I keep going back to is ‘Aa Zara’ from Murder 2; I never get bored of it. I also totally love ‘Behta Hai Mann Kahin’ from Chameli, ‘Bin Tere’ from I Hate Luv Storys, ‘Mere Haath Mein’ from Fanaa and ‘Beedi Jalaile’ from Omkara.”

H!: You’ve lent your voice to virtually every popular actress. Whose voice do you think you’re most suitable for?

SC: “While I don’t think I’m the right person to answer this, I can say that many have performed so beautifully to my songs. Like Rekhaji was brilliant in ‘Kaisi Paheli Zindagani’. I even loved how Urmila lip- synced to ‘Do Pyar Karne Wale’, Lara Datta’s rendition of ‘Aisa Jaadu’ and the way Priyanka moved to ‘Right Here, Right Now’.”

H!: What’s your outlook on life today?

SC: “The lockdown helped me understand myself better. I came to a realisation on many things, and my perspective has changed now. I want to get into the independent space as an artist, and I also think I’m a better person now because of my child. My life is headed in the right direction. It’s more focused as I have a better routine, and all that credit goes to my baby.”