Renowned singer Sonu Nigam recently shared his perspective
on AR Rahman’s vocal abilities, acknowledging that while Rahman is not a
classically trained singer, his voice carries a distinct and pleasant tone. He
emphasized that Rahman himself would not claim to be a great singer but
possesses an exceptional ability to stay in sur (tune), which is a
crucial aspect of music.
In an interview with O2 India, Sonu was asked to evaluate
Rahman’s singing skills. He responded, “Obviously, he is not a very trained
singer. But the tone of his voice is very nice. Even he wouldn’t call himself a
great singer. His texture is beautiful, and though his voice might not be
considered powerful, he is always in sur because he is AR Rahman.”
Sonu and Rahman have collaborated on numerous projects since
the 1990s, maintaining a strong musical partnership for decades. While Rahman
is primarily a composer, he has also sung several hit songs that have left a
lasting impact.
Recalling a special memory, Sonu revealed that Rahman once
allowed him to compose a small section of Inn Lamhon Ke Daaman Mein from
Jodha Akbar (2008). He shared that towards the song’s end, Rahman asked
for his input, leading Sonu to spontaneously create a melody, which Rahman
liked and incorporated into the final version.
"He must have made a few tweaks, but he let me work
on that portion because the rest of the song was already composed. Javed saab
sent the lyrics later, so we added them at that stage. Rahman is quite secure
as an artist—he doesn’t insist on doing everything himself," Sonu
explained. The part composed by Sonu remains a highlight of the song, standing
out with its minimal instrumentation and hauntingly beautiful effect.