MUMBAI: Most celebrities would fear to move on the streets of Mumbai with the ideas of getting mobbed, but not Sonu Nigam. In an attempt to try something new in a social experiment with Culture Machine’s Being Indian, Nigam went on to sing on the noisy, polluted and unclean streets of Mumbai. He did get a lot of appreciation as he sang disguised as an old man with a harmonium. However, there was just one person who walked up to him and handed over 12 rupees, not knowing who he was. Nigam was touched by this boy’s gesture and he not only mentioned him in his social experiment ‘The Roadside Ustaad’ but also framed those 12 rupees and kept it amongst his trophies.
Only after the video came out last week the boy named Shahbaz Ali learnt about the old roadside singer being Nigam. But, he never thought that he would have a chance of meeting the singer again. 23 May 2016 probably was the best day of his life as Nigam not only invited him to his residence but also thanked him for his gesture.
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“I can see his heart outshining anything in his personality,” said the ‘Mere Haat Mein’ singer.
He further added, “He does not know what has hit him in the last four-five days. He has become the star of his circle. His mother is so proud of him. The guy he paid 12 rupees turned out to be me. If it had to be someone inconsequential nothing would have happened. He made the entire experience profound. He is the star of the episode.”
The experiment was not an easy one for Sonu either. In fact, not many know that he was a bit apprehensive about doing it initially. “I did not know what face I would have if someone had to recognise me. In fact, I was just dreading that Shahbaz would recognise me but he did not.”
Check Sonu Nigma’s video interview here:
