Sukhwinder Singh: Sachin Tendulkar listens to 'Jai Ho' while driving

Sukhwinder Singh recalls the events leading up to recording of an anthem for Sachin Tendulkar's biopic 'Sachin: A Billion Dreams'

Sukhwinder Singh, Singer

Since I have been a sprinter in the past, I can relate to sports personalities," says Sukhwinder Singh, who has sung the anthem for 'Sachin: A Billion Dreams', composed by AR Rahman. He says he feels fortunate to have sung songs like Chak De India and Jai Ho that are played at several matches, and Oorja for the under-19 football team. "This is my fourth such track and what better than singing for the Master Blaster," he adds.

Song by chance
Sukhi says the song happened all of a sudden. "I was recording with Rahman at his Mumbai studio for Sridevi's film, Mom. When the track was done, I asked AR to play it and check how it had shaped up. He told me he'd play it after some time and asked me to grab a bite. When we returned to the studio, he played the Sachin song. I told him that was not the one I had recorded. He asked me to shut up and listen to it. I loved it. He told me, 'Now go behind the mic and sing it'," recalls the singer.

AR Rahman and Sachin Tendulkar

Chilling with Sachin
Rahman decided that very day was apt to record the song. "I was supposed to go to the studio and sing it a couple of days later. But since he saw my energy, after recording the Mom track, he thought it could be harnessed for the Sachin number. We recorded it immediately," says Sukhwinder, who had special visitors, Sachin and his wife, Anjali, at the studio that night.

"We finished recording the same day and they came to listen to the track at night. Sachin said he loves my voice and is fond of Jai Ho [from Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, 2008]. He said he plays it at high volume while driving. Sachin is a genius and Rahman is one of the best composers in the world. So this song was bound to be great," says Sukhwinder, who has recorded as many as four songs with Rahman over the past fortnight.

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