Singer Sonu Nigam took to social media on Sunday to share a video of himself singing the late legendary singer Mohammed Rafi’s Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki from Dulari (1949) while on the operating table. The unusual sight left fans both puzzled and concerned about what had happened. Nigam has since clarified that he was undergoing surgery to address a recurring growth on his left ring finger.Speaking to Hindustan Times, Nigam revealed that he had undergone surgery for the same issue four months ago, but the growth has returned.“It’s been happening for some time. I had a surgery four months back to remove it, but it has come back again. I think it’s got to do with some arthritis condition that I have in my bones, probably,” he said.With the growth returning for a second time, Nigam said there is no fixed plan for the next course of treatment yet.“We have to wait and watch. It’s come out the second time,” he added.
Sonu Nigam explains why he started singing during surgery
Nigam also recalled how he ended up singing inside the operating room while the procedure was underway.“Singing in the OT just happened organically. Dr Nilesh Sathbhai is an admirer of mine and he was playing my songs during the surgery,” he said.The songs playing in the operating room were from Rafi Resurrected, Nigam’s album with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, in which he recreated songs originally sung by Mohammed Rafi.“As the surgery was happening, between some songs, there were a couple of songs that came without the voice. And as it came without the voice, the song was playing, but there was no voice. So, organically, I started singing,” Nigam recalled.
Sonu Nigam says doctors enjoyed the unexpected performance
What began spontaneously turned into a memorable moment for everyone in the operating room.“They really enjoyed it. And they actually said that this has never happened, that a patient is singing for the doctors while they do surgery. And I also enjoyed it because these are songs that are so close to my heart,” Nigam said.The singer revealed that he performed two or three songs for the doctors during the procedure, with Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki being one of them.“So I sang a couple of songs. This is just one song. I sang about two, three songs for them. So it became a very endearing moment,” he said.Nigam also revealed that he suggested recording the performance so the doctors could preserve it as a memory.“And I also asked them if they wanted to record it, they could record it as a memory. So they recorded it and then sent it to me. And that’s when we posted it,” he added.
