Singer Sunidhi Chauhan has reinvented herself as a performer, and it shows when she takes the stage to perform. She sings, she sways, she slays. Just like her vocals, her performance graph has been on a higher scale ever since she began the I Am Home concerts. Those who have witnessed her charisma on stage would agree that she is unstoppable and is one of the most powerful singers and performers that India is proud to have. t2 caught up with the powerhouse as she prepares to kick off the I Am Home India Tour in association with BAE, an ABP Network initiative, a 10-city event that will begin with Mumbai on December 24. The versatile singer will conclude the tour in Calcutta, on March 14. Excerpts from the interview...
Since you were already on a tour, travelling from one place to another, meeting so many fans, how was the experience of living out of your suitcase and performing live?
When it comes to the stage, it is always the same. We always give our 2,000 per cent. Other than that, the entire experience is quite overwhelming — meeting so many people backstage, getting their raw feedback; it is magical. And travelling to the US or Australia or anywhere out of India is not that easy because the weather is different, the time zones are different, you don’t get enough rest, and we are always in a rush to finish; we are always chasing time. So it gets more difficult, but that also gives you that extra boost to keep going and push a little more. And I think that extra push is what people get to see.
We are dying mostly on stage. I’m talking about myself; I’m always in pain or dying in my heels when I’m performing, but we don’t let that show because that’s not how it works. You got to do what you got to do on stage. And I am just so thankful to the almighty that I get some kind of supreme power at that very moment where I’m able to pull off three hours non-stop. I get to see really happy faces in the crowd, and that’s everything.
Coming to the new tour that you are embarking on — I Am Home India Tour, in association with BAE, an ABP Network initiative — how much are you looking forward to it?
I’ve been everywhere with the show — the US, Australia, Dubai, Singapore. I also did my very first one in Mumbai in 2023. I have been waiting to perform in India. I am most excited about this one because it’s in my home country, and it’s going to be a different vibe. When you go abroad, people have different tastes in music. Sometimes the songs that do really well here may not be doing that well over there. And the songs that people don’t know at all here are maybe pretty popular over there. So you need to change your show flow, your list of songs accordingly. But here, I know the songs that I want to sing and that people will connect with. When you can actually be in a concert and sing and dance along with the songs that you already know, that’s a totally different vibe. So, I am really looking forward to meeting all the people who bought the tickets already and are looking forward to the show as much as I am.
You kickstart with Mumbai, and then you go across different Indian cities. Tell me about your playlist, and do you update it according to different venues?
It’s not so different. I want every city to have a similar kind of experience. With Mumbai, I’ll be a little more invested because they’ve already seen one show in 2023. So they are definitely expecting a little more than what they have already seen. So I am just working on those areas where I can do a few things differently. Also, we keep upgrading our shows anyway, like every show is a better rehearsal than the last rehearsal that we did, you know. We give our everything on stage. But I would like to add that I am still not satisfied because we are still far, far away from the kind of perfect show that I want to put out.
Since you’re talking about perfection, what aspects are you referring to?
If there’s anything that exists, it’s improvement. If we were all perfect, then how would this world go on? I am talking about improvement in every way — production, sound, the way I sing on stage… I feel that I can be vocally better in the next show. My dancers, my choreography can get better. So there is only scope and scope and scope for improvement until we are asked to stop.
We have had many international A-list artistes performing in India this year. Do you think the rise of performances by international artistes in India has actually raised the bar for even Indian performers?
I feel people are more open to watching artistes on stage now. They are buying tickets and actually going to concerts. I don’t know whether it changed because of the A-listers coming from abroad to perform here but I think from the time the independent music scene started with Coke Studio and other platforms where people started putting out their own music, when social media came in in a very big way, where people didn’t have to wait for any opportunity in movies and they just put out their music on YouTube or even on Instagram or Reels, I think it just changed over there. It’s a very good time for music. People are ready to give chances to newer artistes. There is an audience for everybody. They want to go and explore a new artiste and support them.
Moving on, let’s talk about your performance at the ICC Women’s World Cup. How was the feeling?
I can’t tell you how amazing that was! When I walked towards the girls to sing the national anthem, they looked so fierce. There was this aura around them; they looked charged. It felt like the match had just started, and we had already won. That was such a beautiful sight. I will never forget that day. It’s like etched in my heart.
Talking about your performance, your style on the stage has evolved a lot.
Well, I mean, you keep growing, right? So I think that’s exactly what is happening with me. When I used to perform 10 years ago on stage, I had the same energy and vibe. A lot of things have been added to my shows in the past four years, though. There’s a lot of change in production, in the way it sounds, and I’m also a very integral part of every department in my show now, not just on stage. Things are a little different when you take charge of everything.
Coming to fashion, I think when you feel ready for anything, then I think a lot of things change. My costumes on stage are a part of me, feeling the freedom inside of me, being free of any consciousness. The kind of songs I do on stage, which are with a totally different production, have to go with what I’m wearing. It’s about marrying the singing that I do, along with the choreography and the production.
Do you have a fashion icon or a singer/performer who inspired you?
I’ve only looked up to one person, and that’s Michael Jackson. His energy and sense of style are unmatched. Also, I have loved the way Beyonce carries herself on stage… the way she stands, the way she’s presenting her songs, those lyrics, and connecting with the audience through her eyes only… she is amazing. She has 60-70,000 people watching her at one time, and you feel that she’s singing for you. I love that about her. That’s the kind of connection I’ve always tried to make with my audiences from the very start.
Do you still get nervous when you get up on the stage to perform?
I’ll be honest — I don’t think I’m ever nervous. But I do have excitement. When I’m ready with my costume and hair, and makeup, then I just cannot wait to get on stage. I feel, let’s go. Having said that, I did feel nervous a couple of times, like when I performed in London. But it was a good nervousness mixed with excitement.
Tell us about your upcoming projects.
There are three-four songs that I’m working on, and I think one or two of them are ready as well. But we are just looking at the right time to release them. And since now I’m going to be busy with my tour, we’ll just see how we can find time to shoot the music video and then put it out. I’m very excited about my new music.