On Monday, Sonu Nigam was awarded India's 4th highest civilian award, Padma Shri, for his contributions to the field of art by President Ram Nath Kovind. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Rajya Sabha MP JP Nadda.
Sonu, in his statement after receiving the award, said, "I'm thankful to the Government of India for thinking of me as a deserving candidate and bestowing me the Padma Shri. My heartfelt thanks to all those who selected me and suggested my name for this prestigious honour. I would also like to thank my mother, Shobha Nigam, and my father, Agam Kumar Nigam. In fact, I want to dedicate this award to my mother. Had she been here today, she would have cried a lot."
Singer Sonu Nigam, credited with 4,000 songs in 10 languages receives #PadmaShri from #PresidentKovind
#PeoplesPadma #PadmaAwards2022 pic.twitter.com/14uXtvoLga— PIB India (@PIB_India) March 28, 2022
In February this year, Sonu told an entertainment portal that when the Government officials called him first for the Padma Shri award, he refused to accept it. Sonu told the portal, "When I got a call, I was told that ‘The Government of India has conferred upon the Padma Shri to you. Do you accept it?’ They ask you like this. I had this in my mind that if I ever get a call, I would say this – ‘Don’t you think it is too late in the day to give me Padma Shri?’ I said that you all have given people who came 15 years after me, Padma Shri, 5 years before me already."
The singer further added, "I said that ‘You guys are giving me Padma Shri now? You guys have been teasing me for a long time. We are also human beings and we also get lured by these temptations. Is there a person who would be felicitated with an award and would not like it? Those who don’t get it, only they say it like that. It’s a good feeling to be given acclamation and recognition at the right time. Justice given late isn’t called justice. So I said, ‘ I won’t be able to accept this award’."
Sonu started singing at the age of 4. Trained by Hindustani classical singer Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, his first song was O Aasman Wale from the film Aaja Meri Jaan. He received a National Award for the title song of Kal Ho Naa Ho.
(Source: PIB)
