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A letter from Sonu Nigam
Saturday July 14. 2007.
Without wasting too much
of your precious space I'd like to say that for a long time I've been reading,
at the insistence of my fans and well wishers, various articles which contain
one or more ways to include and humiliate me and my work, written by Subhash
K Jha. All I want to say is I am sure he is a great asset to your reputed
paper and very well known to his fraternity, but I'd like to put into your
notice that he is the same guy who has always had over-whelming great words
of praises for me once upon the time, from my impeccable singing abilities,
to my acting prowess, especially in my movie LOVE IN NEPAL. (Please surf
the net and read his review of the movie 3 years back)
So what suddenly happened
that today he humiliates me every fortnight in some or the other article
in your paper or the other's that he writes for? Of course I am not the
only one in his hate list, there is Shahrukh, Aamir, Salman, Shilpa, Ashaji,
Anu Malik, Ismail Darbar, Alka Yagnik, Adnaan ...and the list goes on...
but here I wanna talk about myself!
Let me spill the beans open
for you. I've kept quiet for too long just hoping that his conscience will
someday overcome his vengeance for me. It's not a secret in the industry
that he is a homosexual (read Bi-sexual). God Bless him for Homosexuals
are normal people with just different sexual preferences, just like men
lusting for women is not a taboo. But a man punishing a woman for not complying
with his sexual advancement is an issue right? So why isn't a man imposing
upon another man an issue? Isn't this a free world? Am I supposed to reciprocate
to something that I am not interested in? And do I have to be subjected
to this kind of DADAGIRI for no fault of mine?
Some time back, there was
an article where he states that I threatened him. Yes I did! He challenged
my audacity for not allowing him to take my interview. I didn't want to
talk to him. I did tell him to stay away from me when he comes to Bombay.
What is my fault in this? No one is obligated to interact with people who
make one feel uncomfortable! And especially when someone would constantly
talk either negative, or suggestive!
I am not just an artist but
also a reader of your newspaper from the time I gained consciousness to
this world. I demand you to treat me like a common man.
I am not alone in this world;
I have a closely knit family, friends and admirers who feel deeply hurt
when this kind of unaccountable bashing is inflicted upon me. I want to
be left alone. I am going to have my first baby soon and I want to give
him/her all my time and focus in the next few months keeping myself away
from the routine for sometime. Like any other father I think I deserve
this space. I don't want to be subjected to this strange kind of sexual
assault where all that I did like a "phenomena" in his own words, some
time back, has become something so hate worthy for this sick man.
I have his "I miss you and
Love you Sonu" and "I am sorry" messages saved in various phones of mine
and today I thank God that I never erased them!
Whether I succeed or fail,
I have never resorted to cheap means of publicity or scandals have been
respectful to my seniors and encouraging to my juniors. I have seen poverty,
struggle. I am not a star son and God has given me the blessing of entertaining
the world with my art which I have honed with tireless hardwork. Everyone,
from my seniors to my colleagues to my juniors, swear by my hardwork and
dedication. And then, there is this man, who drags me in all his articles,
lambasts me, shamelessly tries to tarnish my hard earned image, step by
step, almost like a lover scorned by denial! I can very well take this
all lying down too sir, but I just read somewhere recently once again that
taking injustice lying down is a bigger sin.
It's my duty to exercise
this right of mine by writing to you, by presenting my case in front of
you. I leave in your worthy hands the task of presenting my case in front
of the world who is witnessing Sonu-spanking for last 3 months. My parents
have been hurting reading all this coz they know the reality! Is my not
being a homosexual so punishable an offence? If someone can do this to
me, I wonder what the new strugglers, models and actors have to go through
in this industry. My heart goes out to them. Please let them know we are
not living in a jungle where someone's silence is taken as a sign of weakness
by a beast! Let them know that homosexuals have their right to be themselves
in this society, but so do heterosexuals!!
Thanking you in advance.
- Sonu Niigam
P.S. I don't sound nasal
when I go on high octaves as written by him to justify another singer.
Even a kid will tell you that.
P.S. As Mark Twain said,
I'd rather deserve all the accolades and not have them, than have them
and not deserve them
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