EXCLUSIVE: Sukhwinder Singh recalls how AR Rahman gave him his father’s harmonium for singing, reveals why his voice is associated with Shah Rukh Khan

Sukhwinder Singh is a globally renowned Indian singer, who wove a unique sound blending traditional and contemporary styles. His distinctive voice has brought to life iconic film songs, such as the Oscar-winning “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire with AR Rahman being the composer. During an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Sukhwinder Singh revealed that he was introduced to the World of Music by AR Rahman and that he resonates most with Shah Rukh Khan. Read more to know about his journey below.

“I was introduced to the world of music by AR Rahman,” reveals Sukhwinder Singh

Sukhwinder Singh revealed that AR Rahman introduced him to the World of Music. He said, “Even if I don’t talk about this it is true. I love glamour, I was about 19 or 20 years old then. I was unaware of the weather, it was summer. And I was wearing a red coat, white shirt, red tie, and blue jeans. He is the creator who introduced me to the entire world of music. My wish was to experiment with music, sing songs, and perform in front of people, say, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls. AR Rahman helped me practically implement these things in my career.”

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He further added, saying “When I met Rahman, he asked me to sing something. I sang a Punjabi song ‘Thaya Thaya’. He loved it, he asked me to sing more. I said I needed a harmonium to continue, he gave me his father’s harmonium. Because most of the work was electronic then, musicians had to be soulful. We need to add our hearts to singing no matter what. So, if you see AR Rahman’s songs he uses electronic music but it touches straight to our hearts. After I sang the song to him, he sent the song to Mani Ratnam. Mani Ratnam narrated the song to Gulzar. I recorded the song the next day with Gulzar sahab, he kissed me on my forehead.”

Sukhwinder Singh on Shah Rukh Khan

On being asked about which actor does singer’s voice resembles the most. The Ramta Jogi singer said, “I have sung for a lot of actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranbir Singh and more. But they never bring themselves on the screen. The director assigns them a particular character, I associate myself with that character when I sing. But yes, many associate me with Shah Rukh Khan. The reason being the first artist for whom I sang on screen was him. I did a couple of songs where Khan was the actor. Songs like Chakde India, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Udi Udi Jaaye, Om Shanti Om were completely different.”

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Watch the full interview here

Also Read: Sukhwinder Singh refutes Ram Gopal Varma’s claims of ghost composing Jai Ho for AR Rahman: I have only sung it