Sonu Nigam reveals why he sang Mohammed Rafi during surgery: ‘These songs are close to my heart’

A video of singer Sonu Nigam performing Mohammed Rafi's "Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki" while undergoing surgery has surprised fans online.

Nigam posted the clip on Instagram, dedicating it to his surgeon, Dr. Nilesh Satbhai, and the medical team who operated on him. He described it as an unplanned performance, calling it the "Joy of Music."

Fellow singers responded to the post. Shreya Ghoshal wished him a speedy recovery and praised his dedication despite being unwell. Mika Singh also sent a get-well message.

Speaking about it afterward to Hindustan Times, Nigam said there was no plan behind the performance. His surgeon, an admirer of his music, had been playing Nigam's songs during the procedure. At one point, a track played without the vocals, and Nigam began singing along himself. "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 video shows only one of the songs he performed. By his account, he sang two or three songs in total for the surgical team. He said the doctors told him they'd never had a patient sing to them during an operation before, and that he enjoyed the moment as much as they did, since the songs held personal meaning for him. The recording was made by the medical staff, who later sent it to him, which is how the clip was shared publicly. “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,” he recalled.

The procedure addressed a recurring growth on Nigam's left ring finger. He'd previously had it removed about four months earlier, but it returned. He said he believes it may be related to an underlying arthritis condition, though he described this as his own guess rather than a confirmed diagnosis. He added that there's no fixed treatment plan yet, since the growth has now come back a second time, and that he and his doctors are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Nigam said he hasn't taken a break since the surgery. In the days around the procedure, he attended a birthday event held for him, performed the following day, and appeared two days after surgery at the launch of his song "Chunni." He said he has continued working as usual.

Nigam has spoken before about Mohammed Rafi's influence on his career, referring to him as his guru and describing Rafi's music as a major part of his upbringing as a singer.