Almost a decade ago, Sonu Nigam gave Mumbaikars a surprise they would never forget when the celebrated singer went undercover as a street performer and sang his own songs on the busy streets of Juhu. At a time when Sonu was already one of Bollywood’s most recognisable voices, he chose to step away from the spotlight and experience what it was like to perform without an audience knowing who he really was.Disguised as an old beggar, Sonu sat at a corner with a harmonium and began singing. Initially, people passing by barely noticed him. However, due to his soulful voice, passers-by started stopping and gathering around him. The experiment was documented in a video titled ‘The Roadside Ustaad’, released on Culture Machine’s digital channel Being Indian. Sonu later recalled that the experience allowed him to perform without the expectations and identity that came with being a famous singer.“I went without any expectations, totally bereft of any awkwardness for the way I was looking and what I was about to subject myself to.”“For the first time, I was not me. The make-up was so good and authentic that people standing so close to me couldn’t recognise it.”The experience was not merely about disguising himself. For Sonu, it became an opportunity to observe how people reacted to a street performer and how a simple song could make busy commuters pause.Speaking to Hindustan Times about the experiment, Sonu admitted that he was unsure about how people would respond. “I didn’t do it with any preconceived notion. I didn’t know kya hone waala hai kyunki humne pehle kabhi kisi ko aise karte dekha nahin hai (what would happen, because I had never seen anyone do this before). I was apprehensive about the outcome. It could have been amazing or it could have gone by unnoticed. Though the clip shows that I sang only for four minutes, I had to sing at three different locations for one hour each. I sang a lot of songs. To sit on the road and sing was humbling. To get your voice heard without a microphone amidst so much noise and traffic was a huge challenge. It was intimidating. When people started gathering around me, my major concern was that the people on the road shouldn’t get to know that I am Sonu Nigam. That would have been embarrassing.”However, one particular interaction stayed with Sonu long after the shoot ended. A young boy approached him, held his hand and asked him whether he had eaten breakfast. The boy then quietly slipped Rs 12 into his palm. “My most memorable moment (during this act) is of this boy who held my hand and asked ‘Uncle, did you have breakfast?'” “As he took my hand, the boy slipped Rs 12 into my palm, without anybody watching. I felt as if I just made lakhs of money... I’ve asked my office to frame the money.” Sonu later managed to track down the boy, Shahbaaz, and invited him home. The young fan was unaware that he was going to meet the singer he had unknowingly encountered on the streets.“We managed to find him. His name is Shahbaaz. He came to my house a couple of days ago. He didn’t know that he was coming to meet me. He was surprised to find himself in my house. He hugged me and got emotional. He loves music, and he knows a lot about my music. He was touched because he became famous because of me. He told me that while recording my voice (as the homeless guy) on his phone, he had wanted to tell me, ‘Aap toh Sonu Nigam se bhi accha gaa rahe hain’ (you are singing better than Sonu Nigam),” he revealed.The Rs 12 that Shahbaaz gave him became far more valuable to Sonu than its monetary worth. The singer reportedly framed the money and kept it among his awards. The experiment also drew comparisons with football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who had pulled off a similar disguise on the streets of Madrid in 2015. For Sonu, however, this 6 minute video became much more than a celebrity prank. It gave him an opportunity to step into another person’s shoes, connect with strangers and experience the humility of performing on a street without a microphone, fame or applause guaranteed. Nearly a decade later, the story remains a memorable throwback to the singer’s ability to connect with people not just through his music.
