Sunidhi Chauhan is a versatile singer with a strong, seductive and intense voice. With scintillating hit numbers like Sheila Ki Jawani and Kamli, she continues to awe us with her songs and pulsating stage performances. She has recorded more than 2500 songs in more than 10 languages till date.

Born as: Nidhi Chauhan

D.O.B: 14 August 1983

Marital Status: Married director choreographer Bobby Khan in 2002, later divorced him

and married childhood friend and composer Hitesh Sonik in a low profile

ceremony on April 27, April 2007

Place of Birth: New Delhi

Family: She has one younger sister, Suneha.

TV Shows

Kareena Kareena (TV Series):Title Song

Pavitra Rishta (TV Series):Title Song

Hitler Didi (TV Series): Title Song

Zara Nach Ke Dikha 2 (TV Show): Title Song

Tumhari Paakhi (TV Series):Bolo Na Dil Se

Ek Hasina Thi (TV Series): Title Track

Awards

Filmfare Awards for Best Female playback singer for Sheila Ki Jawani, Film: Tees Mar Khan (2010), Beedi Jalaile, Film: Omkara (2006)

R. D. Burman Award for Most Promising Newcomer (2001)

IIFA Awards for Best Female playback singer for Dhoom Machale Film: Dhoom (2005), Beedi Jalaile Film: Omkara (2006)

Zee Cine Awards for Best Female playback singer for Dhoom Machale Film: Dhoom (2005)

Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award Kamli Film: Dhoom 3 (2014)

Early Life

Sunidhi Chauhan started singing at a very young age of four, after TV anchor Tabassum discovered her talent. Thereupon, Tabassum encouraged her to move to Mumbai where she took the lead position in Kalyanji’s troupe called ‘Little Wonders.’ By 1996, she gained recognition and fame by winning the TV music reality show Meri Awaaz Suno. As part of the prize she got to record the Album Aira Gaira Nathu Khaira for HMV. However, as the album was promoted for children, it fell short of the desired response. She admits that her first song and the victory in the contest did not help her much professionally. For some time nothing happened but by then she had made up her mind to pursue a career in singing. She got her first break as a playback singer with the song Ladki Deewani Dekho, Ladka Deewana from the movie Shastra in 1996.

Her Hit Numbers

Her first hit number was Ruki Ruki Thi Zindagi for the 1999 film Mast. She praised the movie Mast for her breakthrough, saying she met Sandeep Chowta through Sonu Nigam, leading to her singing Ruki Ruki Thi Zindagi at the early age of sixteen. This was the turning point, and was followed by other hit numbers like Beedi Jalai Le (Omkara), Bhaage Re Mann (Chameli), Dhoom Machale (Dhoom), Sajnaji Vaari Vaari(Honeymoon Travels) Aaja Nachle (Aaja Nachle), Crazy Kia Re (Dhoom 2), Chor Bazari (Love Aaj Kaal), Ainvayi Ainvayi (Band Baaja Baraat) and Dance Pe Chance (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi) among others. In 2006, she sang Reach Out at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games at Doha Qatar.

Later she sang other successful numbers like Chhaliya from the movie Tashan, going on to sing Rock Mahi (One Two Three), Lucky Boy (Bachna Ae Haseeno), Desi Girl (Dostana), Dance Pe Chance (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), and Race Saanson Ki (Race) in the year 2008. She then performed her hit Shiela Ki Jawani in 2010. Soon after, she joined Anu Malik, Asha Bhosle and Salim Merchant to be a judge for the television show Indian Idol 6 in 20123. In the same year, Sunidhi sang with Ali Zafar for the title song in the film London, Paris, New York. The following year Sunidhi released her first single entitled Ab Laut Ja with Sanjoy Deb. By 2013, she was singing numbers like Babli Badmash for films like Shootout at Wadala, and Kamli for Dhoom 3. In 2014, director Atlanta Nagendra roped in Sunidhi Chauhan to sing for the Indo–American film the Mumbhai Connection, a gangsta comedy, scheduled for release in August’14.

As a leading playback singer in Bollywood, she has voiced over many leading stars like Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Karishma Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Preity Zinta, Deepika Padukone among others. She has also sung a number of songs in Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya, Kannada, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu and recorded more than 2500 tracks so far.

She has recorded with famous artists like Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Alka Yagnik, Sukhwinder Singh. Among composers, she has worked with the likes of A.R. Rahman, Bappi Lahiri, Vishal Shekhar, Nadeem Shravan, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Jatin Lalit, Pritam Chakraborty, Rajesh Roshan, Anand Milind and Anu Malik. She has also worked with well-known lyricists like Gulzar, Irshad Kamil, Prasoon Joshi, Javed Akhtar, Swanand Kirkire, Sameer and Anand Bakshi.

Her Marriage

Initially she said she was happy with her marriage to Bobby Khan (which was attended only by very close friends) saying her in-laws didn’t make her feel like she was married and she was comfortable and Bobby was a “darling.” Her parents went to the extent of disowning their daughter as they disapproved this marriage. But then they soon separated, bringing about reconciliation with her parents, after which Sunidhi filed for divorce citing she and Khan wanted different things in life.

Her marriage to composer Hitesh Sonik was attended by many famed personalities like Asha Bhosle, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Smita Thackeray, Konkona Sen Sharma and Alka Yagnik among others.