Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS) Singer Sonu Nigam, who has lent his support to India’s first transgender band 6 Pack Band, says that the initiative to offer the community a platform is not a “social service” but a “game-changer” in the entertainment industry.
About the band, Sonu said: “It is an outstanding initiative. I’m just honoured to be a part of it. This is not a ‘samaj seva’ that we are doing and this is going to be a game-changer in the entertainment industry whether it is in music-making or events.”
Six transgenders from Mumbai and elsewhere were selected from a group of around 200 who auditioned to be a part of the band. The youth wing of Yash Raj Films – YFilms led by Ashish Patil is the brain behind the formation of this band.
Music composer Shameer Tandon is the project curator and composed the songs starting with the recreation of Pharell Williams song “Happy”, which is a Hinglish song titled “Hum Hain Happy”.
Sonu will feature along with the band for the second song “Rab De Bande” and said that he is eager to work in the other songs from the six-song album.
“It validates my existence as a musician in the country. If I couldn’t do this, then it’s a shame on me. It’s been 25 years that I’ve been singing in Mumbai and 38 years since I started singing on stage… but I never imagined that these six are also going to come into my life.”
“I always did less work.. I’m extremely choosy about what I’m doing and who I’m working for. I work according to my wishes and doing this gave me a lot of happiness. This is just the start and my first experience itself has been so enjoyable,” he added.
Sonu made all six emotional by highlighting the discrimination against the community but then lightened the mood with his experiences from the shoot. “They do a lot of fun, talk a lot and sing lot of songs.
“They are never serious, I told them on the sets that they don’t know where their life is heading and that they have to be disciplined and sincere. And also to be aware of the fact the camera is the eyes of the world, now they’re a public property,” said the singer.
Actress Anushka Sharma has given a voiceover for the song.
