Singer Sonu Nigam is a versatile singer, who is known for being vocal about his views. Sonu maintained his trajectory of being outspoken, as in a recent interview he recalled his conversation with the government authorities. At the time, the Abhi Mujh Main Kahin singer was asked if he would accept the Padma Shri award.
During the interview, Sonu Nigam revealed that he had initially said that he wouldn’t be able to accept the award. The singer also spoke about people getting the award due to lobbying but it had been given to him ‘from the universe’.
The singer also said that he had prepared an answer in anticipation of such a call. Sonu said that he would reply with ‘Don’t you think it is too late in the day to give me Padma Shri?’ The singer told the official who called him that the honour was conferred on people who came into the music industry 15 years after him, five years before him.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Sonu Nigam said, “‘You guys are giving me Padma Shri now? You guys have been teasing me for a long time. We are also human beings and we also get lured by these temptations. Is there a person who would be felicitated with an award and would not like it?”
“Those who don’t get it, only they say it like that. It’s a good feeling to be given acclamation and recognition at the right time. Justice given late isn’t called justice. So I said, ‘I won’t be able to accept this award’. I said ‘This is too late. You are giving Padma Shri to me now. I am past that stage of expecting and I have stopped looking in that direction already’,” he added.
Sonu shared that after about 10 minutes of speaking to him, Sonu ended the call saying that he needed to call his father.
As when he talked about the moment, Sonu Nigam shared that he immediately realised that he did not do lobbying for the award, and instead of not involving in the process the award has come to him. Sonu affirmed that the award is ‘something that has come to me from universe’.
Sonu had shared that a lot of lobbying is done. He shared that a few people did it for him ‘previously, two or three times’. Nigam said that he had told them that if he received the Padma Shri ‘this way’, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it.
Last month, Sonu Nigam was conferred with Padma Shri. With a career spanning for over three decades Sonu is one of the most versatile voices in the Indian film industry.
