| Background | solo_singer |
|---|
| Name | Sunidhi Chauhan |
|---|
| Birth name | Nidhi Chauhan |
|---|
| Born | August 14, 1983 New Delhi, India |
|---|
| Origin | Indian |
|---|
| Instrument | Vocalist |
|---|
| Genre | playback singing, Indipop |
|---|
| Occupation | Singer |
|---|
| Years active | 1996–present |
|---|
| Spouse | Bobby Khan (2002-2003) |
|---|
Sunidhi Chauhan (; born Nidhi
Chauhan
Her breakthrough was Ram Gopal Varma's film - Mast, in which she sang the hit song, Ruki Ruki Si Zindagi.
She has been nominated for twelve Filmfare Awards, winning it on three occasions. She has also won two Star Screen Awards, two IIFA Awards and one Zee Cine Award.
Early career
Chauhan started her singing career as a child, giving her first performance at the age of four, in a local
temple in
Delhi. Thereafter, she began to participate in, and sing for, various competitions and local gatherings. When local TV anchor, Tabassum, spotted her talent, her family shifted to
Mumbai in a bid to further develop the young singer's skills, and Chauhan became the lead singer in Kalyanji's 'Little Wonders' troupe.
Recognition first met her in 1996, through the music show Meri Aawaz Suno - the first such televised contest in India - which was broadcast through the Indian national television channel, Doordarshan. She won the competition, and bagged the top prize of recording an album, Aira Ghaira Nathu Khaira, with HMV.
Unluckily for Chauhan, Aira Ghaira Nathu Khaira was promoted as a children's album, and failed to get the recognition it deserved. In 2002, Chauhan herself observed this in an interview:
"My first song and the contest did not help me much. Nothing happened for a while. But by then, I had made up my mind that I will pursue singing as a career." after Aadesh Srivastava asked her to lend her voice to the song Larki Deewaani Dekho, Ladka Deewaana. She followed it with work in films like Gang, Veergati, Dahek, Bade Dilwala, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat and Samar. By the age of nineteen, Chauhan had already lent her voice to over 350 songs.
Breakthrough, and later work
Chauhan's breakthrough was Ram Gopal Varma's Mast, in which she sang the hit song, Ruki Ruki Si Zindagi, alongside three other songs, including the title song itself. In an interview, while speaking of Mast, she said:
"Whatever I am today, I owe to Mast. I met Sandeep Chowta through Sonu Nigam, and fifteen days later, Mast was in my lap. I was only sixteen then."
In Feb 2007, as part of its marketing campaign and launch of Windows Vista in India, Microsoft hired Sunidhi Chauhan to sing the "Windows Vista Song" titled Wow is Now. This song features English and Hindi lyrics proclaiming the many 'glamorous' features of the Windows Vista Operating System.
Chauhan also sung for the Hindi-dubbed version of Disney's movie, High School Musical - songs which were sung by Vanessa Anne Hudgens in the English version. Moreover, she was the singer of the English language song "Reach Out" at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games at Doha, Qatar.
2008 was a highly successful year for the young singer, as she went on to deliver a huge number of superhit songs like Chhaliya (Tashan), Rock Mahi, Lucky Boy, Desi Girl (Dostana), Dance Pe Chance (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), and Race Saanson Ki (Race), and which resulted in her winning the "Kelvinator GR8! FLO Women Award 2009" for her mind blowing contribution in Music.
Chauhan is one of the few female singers of the present generation who have lent their voice for nearly every leading actress in the Indian entertainment industry, including Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Konkona Sen Sharma and more. She has also sung for actresses of yesteryear cinema, such as Rekha.
Vocal ability
Chauhan's voice has been described as "powerful," a period in which Mangeshkar's style of soft voice and classical music were preferred over racy or fast pop songs.
Special appearances
In October 2008, Chauhan appeared on a special episode of the singing contest, Star Voice of India, alongside composer Ashu Dhruv, to promote their film, Drona. She has cited Sadma (Shock) as her favourite film; gymnastics and cricket as her favourite sports; and Akshaye Khanna and Madhuri Dixit as her favourite actor and actress, respectively. In 2000, she revealed a "secret dream" of seeing herself as a Bollywood actress. In an interview, she said: "I have many acting offers too, but I don't want to rush it. Frankly, I would like to do just one or two films to fulfill that secret dream of seeing myself as an actress. But my life is singing and my aim is to keep singing better."
Marriage, Disowning, and Divorce
In 2002, at the age of 18, Chauhan eloped with music video director and choreographer Bobby Khan, who came visibly close to her while working on the video of her hit song, Pehla Nasha.
On the downside, the marriage caused a rift between the young singer and her parents, who considered the union unsuitable, and consequently disowned her. However, Chauhan and Khan separated a year later, bringing about a reconciliation between the estranged parents and daughter. Chauhan, who lived with mentor, actor and TV anchor, Annu Kapoor and his wife Arunita during the separation, filed for divorce the same year, citing that she had realized she and Khan "wanted different things from life."
Filmography
Ehsaas - A Feeling (Released November 30, 2001) [Special Appearance]
Bas Ek Pal [Special Appearance in Promotional Song Dheeme Dheeme with singer K.K.]
Bhoot [Special Appearance in Promotional Song Bhoot Hoon Main]
Awards and honors
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Year
!Category
!Song and Film
!Result
|- style="background:#ddd;"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|
Filmfare Awards
|-
| 2000
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Ruki Ruki" (
Mast) || Nominated
|-
| rowspan=2|2001
| R. D. Burman Award for Most Promising Newcomer || ||
Winner
|-
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Mehboob Mere" (
Fiza) || Nominated
|-
| 2005 || Best Playback Singer - Female || "Dhoom Machale" (
Dhoom) || Nominated
|-
| rowspan=2|2006
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Kaisi Paheli" (
Parineeta) || Nominated
|-
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Deedar De" (
Dus) || Nominated
|-
| rowspan=3|2007
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Beedi" (
Omakara) ||
Winner
|-
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Soniye" (
Aksar) || Nominated
|-
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Aashiqui Main" (
36 China Town) || Nominated
|-
| rowspan=2|2008
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Aaja Nachle" (
Aaja Nachle) || Nominated
|-
| Best Playback Singer - Female || "Sajnaji Vari Vari" (
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.) || Nominated
|-
| 2009 || Best Playback Singer - Female || "Dance Pe Chance" (
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi) || Nominated
|-
| 2010 || Best Playback Singer - Female || "Chor Bazari" (
Love Aaj Kal) || Nominated
|-
| 2011 || Best Playback Singer - Female || "Udi" (
Guzaarish) || Nominated
|-
| 2011 || Best Playback Singer - Female || "Sheila Ki Jiwani" (
Tees Maar Khan) || Nominated
|- style="background:#ddd;"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|
Star Screen Awards
|-
| 2001 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
Bhumro for
Mission Kashmir || Nominated
|-
| 2004 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
"Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye Ho for
Armaan || Nominated
|-
| 2004 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
Sajna Ve Sajna for
Chameli ||
Winner
|-
| 2005 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
Dhoom Machale (
Dhoom) || Nominated
|-
| 2006 || Best Playback Singer - Female || "Kaisi Paheli" (Parineeta) || Nominated
|-
| 2007 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
Beedi Jalaile for
Omkara ||
Winner
|-
| 2008 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
Sajnaji Vaari for
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. || Nominated
|-
| 2009 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
Dance Pe Chance for
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi || Nominated
|-
| 2010 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
Chor Bazari for
Love Aaj Kal || Nominated
|-
| 2011 || Best Playback Singer - Female ||
Sheila Ki Jawani for
Tees Maar Khan || Nominated
|- style="background:#ddd;"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|
Awards of the International Indian Film Academy
|-
| 2001 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Mehboob Mere for
Fiza || Nominated
|-
| rowspan=2|2005
| Best Female Playback Singer] ||
Dhoom Machale for
Dhoom ||
Winner
|-
| Best Female Playback Singer ||
Sajna Ve for
Chameli || Nominated
|-
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|2006
| Best Female Playback Singer ||
Kaisi Paheli for Parineeta || Nominated
|-
| Best Female Playback Singer ||
Deedar De for
Dus || Nominated
|-
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|2007
| Best Female Playback Singer ||
Crazy Kiya Re for
Dhoom 2 || Nominated
|-
| Best Female Playback Singer ||
Beedi Jalaile for
Omkara ||
Winner
|-
| 2008 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Aaja Nachle for
Aaja Nachle || Nominated
|-
| 2009 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Desi Girl for
Dostana || Nominated
|- style="background:#ddd;"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|
Zee Cine Awards
|-
| rowspan=2|2005
| Best Female Playback Singer ||
Dhoom Machale for
Dhoom ||
Winner
|-
| Best Female Playback Singer ||
Kaise Paheli Zindagi for
Parineeta || Nominated
|-
| 2007 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Beedi Jalaile for
Omkara || Nominated
|- style="background:#ddd;"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|
Apsara Awards
|-
| 2005 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Dhoom Machale for
Dhoom || Nominated
|-
| 2008 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Aaaja Nachle (
Aaja Nachle) || Nominated
|-
| 2011 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Ainvayi Ainvayi (
Band Baaja Baraat) || Nominated
|-
| 2011 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Shiela Ki Jawani (
Tees Maar Khan) || Nominated
|- style="background:#ddd;"
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|
Global Indian Film Awards
|-
| 2006 || Best Female Playback Singer ||
Beedi Jalaile (
Omkara) || Nominated
|-
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="5"|
|}
. Director Arin Paul
References
External links
Official website
Category:1983 births
Category:Living people
Category:Bollywood playback singers
Category:Indian female singers
Category:Indian film singers
Category:Idol series judges
Category:People from Delhi
Category:People from Mumbai
Category:Indian pop singers
Category:Indian singers
Category:Indian television personalities
Category:Rajput people
