PremiumHappy birthday Sunidhi Chauhan: That time when the singer sobbed while performing in front of the legendary Lata Mangeshkar
Bollywood singer Sunidhi Chauhan is loved and appreciated by one and all, especially in India. But when she had the opportunity to perform in front of Lata Mangeshkar, she almost froze.
Last Updated: 09.31 AM, Aug 14, 2022
Sunidhi Chauhan, who turns 39 today, has been a consistent presence in Bolywood's music space for decades now. The Ae Watan singer had started her career at the ripe age of 13 through a reality talent-hunt show Meri Awaaz Suno.
On her birthday, we look back at when she had performed in front of Indian iconic singer Lata Mangeshkar in 1996. Sunidhi Chauhan made her big Bollywood debut that same year and, as we all know, hasn't looked back since.
For her special performance in front of the celebrated singer, who passed away on Feburary 6 2022 at the age of 92, she sang Jaidev Kumar’s song Tu Chanda Mai Chandni from the film, Reshma Aur Shera. Along with all other judges, Lata Mangeshkar was listening to a young Chauhan singing intently. The show, as it turns out, was produced by Mangeshkar herself and Chauhan was declared the winner.
The video footage in question is from a post the singer had shared back in 2020, calling Ocotober 9 1996 "the most memorable" day of her life.
After Lata Mangeshkar's death earlier this year, a devastated Chauhan told Hindustan Times that she had participated in the talent-hunt show because she knew "she would be there fduring the final episode" and that was "precisely" the reason she had participated in it.
"... When I performed before her, my eyes were shut, because I knew that if I made eye contact with her, I would stop singing and start sobbing," Sunidhi Chauhan was quoted as saying.