The title track on his new album marks the onward progress of singer Sonu Nigam towards spirituality.
What prompted you to do an album like Buddha Hi Buddha Hai?
I have just one song in it — the title track. Rajesh Dhabre approached me through my friend programmer Jackie Vanjari, who was working for my World Music project at that time. I liked Dhabre’s passion and taste, and agreed to be a part of it.
I once read an interview where you said that you seek inner and outer peace in your life. Is this something that is manifesting in your life nowadays?
Well.... the seeking days are almost over. I had understood it, but couldn’t apply it until last year. It’s only then that I realised what I am and what this stuff (spirituality) is about. So do I quit everything? Or do I opt for everything? I decided to opt for everything because only then I’d know there is nothing to quit from, nor opt for! The perceptions of happiness and non-happiness, these imaginations have been my own choices all this while!
Have you ever had a spiritual experience while performing or connecting with your fans?
I’ve said this before, I’d say this again... I die on stage. I don’t exist when I am on stage. I wouldn’t be able to do half as good a job if I existed. I believe it’s only when you make room for the cosmos to intervene, excellence happens. Every show is a spiritual trip. By spiritual I don’t mean religious by the way. I don’t see the conventional Gods, like Sheravaali maata, Shivji, Allah mian, Jesus to be honest! I just feel a vacuum, a timelessness, a no gravity situation. No sorrows, no happiness...just pure bliss!
Have there been any turning points in your life that set you on the path to becoming a spiritual seeker?
Well, it’s difficult to put it all in words. Like any typical Indian, my journey began with religion. Hinduism, in my case. In the year 2003, in my home temple, I felt something strange, something I still can’t explain. But I was crying. Then I separated from my wife for a while, and then reunited, and then separated again. And then reunited again. During this patch, extensive yoga initiated me in this quest. Then interactions and discourses with a close and realised friend of mine added reality to it. But at the end of it, it’s our own journey, willingness and surrender.
Spirituality is a word that I generally don’t use as it’s more misused than used in the world. But this experience has given me the strength to walk alone if required.
Is there any spiritual philosophy or spiritual values that you follow?
The only thing that I am doing on this path is, to keep a check on myself. I am not ruthless with myself. On the contrary, I socialise often, party, drink, laugh, entertain, etc. But I watch my Self. I’m witnessing my patterns. For instance I just witnessed myself having a lot of fun beating people in word play on Twitter. Even though the excuse was that I was giving it back to the ones who had been unfair or nasty, I could notice myself getting entrapped in negativity, secretly enjoying hurting the other party. The old Sonu resurfaced. So I quit Twitter.
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