Don't be surprised if you hear of people in the music industry ending their lives: Sonu Nigam

After actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death by suicide, social media has been flooded with accusations against some big names from the Hindi film industry for having pushed him over the edge. Now, popular singer Sonu Nigam has targeted the Hindi film music industry with some startling remarks.

The singer bluntly said that it should not come as a surprise to see people from the music industry ending their lives. “Today Sushant Singh Rajput, an actor, has died. Tomorrow you may hear the same about a singer, composer or lyric writer. The music industry is a bigger mafia than films in our country," Nigam said in an Instagram video. 

The singer said he considers himself lucky to have arrived on the scene earlier. “So I never got trapped in such things. But it is extremely difficult for the new kids now. These young boys and girls call me and share things. They are stressed out because producers, directors and composers wish to work with them, but the music company stops them saying this is not their artiste,” he said.

Without naming anyone, the veteran said, “There are two people and two companies in the industry which have all the power. They decide who should be allowed to sing.

"Look, I am out of it," he continued. "I don’t have much wish to sing since 15 years. I am happy in my own world. But I have seen so much frustration in the words of new singers, composers and lyric writers. They shed tears of blood. Please don’t do this.”

Making an appeal, Nigam said, “If they die, there will be a big question mark on you. Be a little kind to the newcomers because they are artistes. It can happen with me by the same actor at whom fingers are pointed these days. He might stop me from singing. He did the same with Arijit Singh. How can you use your power like that?”

Actor Salman Khan has been recently accused by filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap of sabotaging his work. Earlier, he had a spat with singer Arijit Singh.

Also read: Sonu Nigam: Music companies come to me when their singers are unable to sing a song

Nigam also claimed that there are times when music companies specially ask him to record a song and then replace his voice with that of another singer. “I never called them and asked for a chance to sing. They called me. This is funny as hell! I have been working since 1989. If they do such things with me, I can imagine what they must be doing with young singers. They make nine singers sing one song,” he said.

The singer also accused music companies of forcing songs into films. “Directors and producers are forcefully given certain songs they don’t want," he said. "I meet directors who tell me how such a thing has been done with them.”