Birthday Special: Top 5 soulful songs of Sonu Nigam

One of the most popular Indian playback singers, Sonu Nigam celebrated his 50th birthday on Sunday with much fanfare. The talented singer, who was born on 30 July 1973, hosted a lavish birthday party in Mumbai on Saturday, which saw the presence of who’s who of the entertainment industry. As he enters the 50^th year of his life, let us take a look at Nigam’s top 5 soulful songs whose popularity cut across all ages.

“Sandese Aate Hai” from Border

This patriotic song from the 1997 film Border, directed by J. P. Dutta, leaves a big lump in the throat every time one listens to it. Nigam’s voice beautifully describes the pain of Indian soldiers on the border who have not seen their families for months. The heart-touching song, which became the nation’s anthem at the time of the film’s release, is still popular among listeners of all age groups.

“Suraj Hua Maddham” from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

If we talk about one of the best sensuous songs ever filmed, “Suraj Hua Maddham” from Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham must find a mention on the list. While Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik’s mellifluous voices made it an all-time blockbuster, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s hot pairing was also one of the major highlights of the dreamy song. He walked away with Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song.

“Saathiya” from Saathiya

Composed by AR Rahman, “Saathiya” is the romantic title track from the 2002 film of the same name. Nigam sang the song with Dominique Cerejo and Clinton Cerejo and it shows his versatility as a singer. The complex melody by Rahman, along with deep lyrics by Gulzar made this love ballad an instant hint among listeners.

“Kal Ho Naa Ho” from Kal Ho Naa Ho

The title track of Nikkhil Advani’s Kal Ho Naa Ho sums up the entire emotional journey of the film’s lead pair Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta. The lyrics, penned by Javed Akhtar, talk about the philosophy of living in the present and cherishing every moment of life, and Nigam does justice to each and every word of the song. The singer won Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer, for the song.

“Do Pal” from Veer-Zaara

“Do Pal” from Yash Chopra’s 2004 film Veer-Zaraa remains one of the most popular songs Nigam sang along with the late legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. The highlight of the song was that it was composed on a melody that the late composer Madan Mohan had composed a couple of decades ago. The song features Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta.