Dressed in a shimmering black bodysuit and heeled boots, Sunidhi Chauhan descends slowly onto the stage, suspended by cables – soundtracked by the Dhoom title melody at her debut ‘I AM Home’ arena concert in Mumbai. At touchdown, she pauses just long enough for fans to cheer wildly before she slips into “Crazy Kiya Re” from the same film franchise. While pacing the forestage, she continues to sing and adds a hook step. The crowd is on the tip of their toes attempting to record every single moment on their phones.
Across the country – and overseas – word spread quickly that Chauhan’s tour was an unmissable live experience. Her three-hour set sustains an electrifying, popstar-like performance. In an era of lip-syncing debacles and autotune debates – Chauhan sings, dances and engages with her audience – irrespective of rain, dust or heat. “Having this energy comes down to her impeccable sense of discipline”, says Tanay Gajjar, Chauhan’s sound engineer who professes that the “Beedi” singer is several notches above other musicians right now in the live show space. According to Gajjar, Chauhan’s concerts resonate strongly in particular with women who grew up listening to her, turning the shows into a celebration of a shared history.
The ‘I AM HOME’ concept debuted on the global stage with a sold-out show at Dubai in 2023. The ambitious India leg of the tour kicked off at Mumbai in December 2025, and was then taken to cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata, Lucknow and Indore through the summer of 2026.
A history of breaking norms
Chauhan started out on the reality show ‘Meri Awaz Suno’ at the formative age of 13, carved out her own space in singing for films over the next two decades, and now, at 42, seems to have gone back to her roots – stage shows.
For those who have followed Chauhan through the decades, her journey has been a fascinating lesson in reinvention. “She changed the game. There is a whole new generation discovering her now,” says session musician Jai Row Kavi, who plays drums on her live shows. She often reworks studio recordings on stage, using shifts in tempo to highlight the lyrics in new ways.
“Race” is one of Kavi’s favourite songs to play live. He finds it fun and challenging because the heavy song has intricate drum parts. Sunidhi and the musicians worked on the arrangement to nail it to a T.
Chauhan’s voice was never the traditional, Classical-influenced one that always dominated Hindi film music. Between the full-throated urgency of “Ruki Ruki Si Zindagi” and the wispy tenderness of “Bhaage Re Mann,” Chauhan proved her versatility to be a virtue, at the very beginning of her career.
Music director Sandeep Chowta, who gave Chauhan her first big break in Mast (1999) describes her as “world class”. He believed she was destined for lasting success when he caught her singing in the studio before he roped her in for his film project.
The single that started everything
While Chauhan has been part of pop compilation albums like Ustad & The Divas (2006), her career has been largely anchored on playback. In 2024, “Aankh” marked a decisive turn to non-film music.
The music video for “Aankh” carries the dynamic visual influence of Beyonce and Shakira’s 2005 collaboration “Beautiful Liar” – but with a distinctly Indian aesthetic. Chauhan dances with actor Sanya Malhotra to the trap-heavy electro-fusion production. The music video’s dance routine was recreated across thousands of social media posts.
This was a decisive power shift, with the artist choosing to market her own art, instead of relying only on Bollywood.
“We wanted Aankh to feel groovy, dark, bold and very performance-led. Not a typical pop single, but something with attitude, bass, Indian emotion and strong feminine energy,” shares duo Rusha and Blizza who composed and produced the single.
When songwriter Prateeksha Srivastava heard the bassline, she knew it had to be more than a regular heartbreak song. “Aankh” addresses how a woman rises from her ashes after being brutally betrayed and broken. “When the mourning period is over and something in her has changed now,” expresses Prateeksha on the intent of the track.
Blueprint of a sold out tour
Chauhan adapts to her audience in real time. While her setlist remains unchanged, there is room for spontaneity. She may suddenly launch into the Cartoon Network’s Ben 10 theme (which she had originally recorded for the official Hindi version), evoking nostalgia, or welcome Marathi singer Vaishali Samant for a rendition of “Aika Dajiba” – the concert experience is always personalised to each city. Her video co-star Sanya Malhotra also made an appearance at the Delhi and Kolkata stages to perform with Chauhan.
The live shows have been four years in the making, with the singer deeply involved in every aspect of the production.
Elsa Nilaj, the costume stylist & designer, tells us that despite the demands of touring and motherhood, Chauhan remained available for discussions, fittings and refinements throughout the process. Each costume went through multiple trials, with tweaks often continuing until just two hours before showtime.
But designing for a touring performer comes with its own pressure. What looks perfect in a fitting room must also hold up under concert lights, on giant LED screens and before thousands of fans. Chauhan didn’t let any mishaps set them back on tour. “For her, it’s always about moving forward,” says Nilaj.
“It felt like working with a person who is in the same team instead of a client. She is good with garment construction, understands her body type very well and will suggest fabric and colours,” says Nilaj, a longtime collaborator of the singer. Among the designer’s favourite looks are a crystal studded black catsuit bearing a crystal ‘S’ for Sunidhi, which inspired fan recreations, and a red outfit featuring a heart motif at the back created for a Valentine’s Day concert.
Choreographer Sherlyn Fernandes describes the singer as a quick learner who studies movements closely and works to perfect synchronisation during rehearsals. Chauhan started taking lessons from Fernandes three years before she decided to dance on stage. On tour, Chauhan made time for workouts, including weight training on stage before shows, and was mindful of how the costumes would fit and move on stage. Chauhan performed at various college campuses first to get into the groove and build momentum, before embarking on the full-fledged tour.
After wrapping up the ‘I AM Home’ tour, her dance crew embarked on the ‘Lucky Boy’ tour in May this year. Across cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad, the dance routine to the singer’s hit song “Lucky Boy” from Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) was taught by her crew. Chauhan made a surprise stop at one of the stops of the dance class tour. The classes were sold out in every city.
With the tour’s success, there is major anticipation for her next move. Her manager, Vijay Gupta, tells us that the next chapter will be an expansion of everything Chauhan has already built. “There will be a stronger focus on original music, larger live experiences, and reaching new audiences globally,” adds Gupta.
