Culture Machine, has always created waves in the digital world with its cutting edge, quirky and experimental content. Be it ‘The Printing Machine’, a poetical satire by Kalki; Radhika Apte voicing against body shaming through ‘You’re beautiful’, or ‘The Indian’ series describing the Indian Sikhs, Muslims and Dalits amongst many other, there is always a social message in Culture Machine’s content. And now, once again, the digital media company has pushed the envelope by doing something extra ordinary – a social experiment titled “The Roadside Ustaad” featuring Bollywood’s most loved singer Sonu Nigam in a never seen before avatar.

We caught up with the singer to know about how the video came about.

What prompted you to do Crazy Dil? How did the idea come about?

I had written this song in one of my flights during my American tour in 2014 and had witnessed the response to the song in MTV unplugged where I sang it for the first time. I had decided then itself that I'm going to do something with this song.

Why did you chose to release your music digitally? And why Culture Machine’s digital channel Being Indian Music?

I have a lot of people fortunately following me and the only easy way to provide them my music is the digital way. Culture Machine team has been introduced to me via my friends in the Agency Kwan who manage a large part of my activities. We all have had a mutually respectful relationship in a short span and the results are for everyone to see.

How was it shooting such funny sequences with Farah, Sunil and KailashKher?

Farah is one of my first friends in Mumbai. Before she became Farah Khan and I became popular. Raju Hirani, is one of the finest souls in this industry. Kailash is one of the fewest likeminded friends I have. Sunil Grover has so much love for me that I took a chance of inviting him 4 hours before the shoot, and he turned up. Basically none of them gave me a chance to explain the shoot.. They merely said, it's your work, we are coming. Icing on the cake was Nevaan. I requested him to be a part of this video. And actually had to tone down what the creative team had conceived for him earlier (it was too outrageous in terms of language and attitude for his comfort as he's very well behaved kid). So Raju Hirani ended up writing the dialogues for that sequence that features Nevaan.

The Roadside Ustaad has been a massive success, how do you feel about the audience response to it?

Am extremely touched by the response from every corner of the world. It only goes to prove that the world can be approached with goodness, and positivity does have a huge impact on us. It's just that sometimes we take short cuts to fame by doing something negative. I love such bliss. I thrive on it.

Watch the video at –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlLXMueFepI&list=PLrkRSJr0e7R03wUNPrFIPlWeD_N_J82AN