Kumar Sanu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kumar Sanu
|
|
|---|---|
Kumar Sanu in Indian Telly Awards
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kedarnath Bhattacharya |
| Also known as | Melody King of Bollywood |
| Born | 20 October 1957 Calcutta, West Bengal, India (present-day Kolkata) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Playback singer |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels |
|
| Children | 5 |
Kedarnath Bhattacharya (born 20 October 1957), known as Kumar Sanu, is a very famous Indian playback singer. A playback singer is someone who sings songs for actors in movies. He mostly sings in Hindi films. He has also sung in many other languages like Marathi, Nepali, Assamese, and his native language Bengali.
Kumar Sanu holds an amazing record! He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer five times in a row, from 1991 to 1995. He also has a Guinness World Record for singing the most songs in one day. In 1993, he recorded 28 songs in just one day!
The Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri award in 2009. This award is given for his great contributions to Indian cinema and music. Many of his songs are even listed in BBC's "Top 40 Bollywood Soundtracks of all time."
Contents
Early life
Kumar Sanu's father, Pashupati Bhattacharya, was also a singer and composer. Kumar Sanu was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. His family's original home was in a place called Vikrampur, which is now in Bangladesh. His father moved to Calcutta to find work. Kumar Sanu grew up there with his father and elder sister.
Personal life
Kumar Sanu has five children. He has three sons from his first marriage: Jiko, Jassi, and Jaan Kumar Sanu. Later, he married Saloni Bhattacharya. They have two daughters, Shannon K and Annabelle Kumar Sanu. Shannon K is also a Bollywood playback singer. Annabelle Kumar Sanu is a songwriter and author.
Career
Kumar Sanu began his singing career in 1983. At first, he was known as Sanu Bhattacharya. In 1986, he sang in a Bangladeshi film called Teen Kanya. His first big Bollywood song was in the movie Hero Hiralal (1988).
In 1989, a famous singer named Jagjit Singh introduced Sanu to Kalyanji. Kalyanji suggested he change his name to "Kumar Sanu." He chose "Kumar" to honor his idol, Kishore Kumar. After that, Sanu moved to Mumbai. There, Kalyanji-Anandji gave him a chance to sing in the film Jaadugar.
Kumar Sanu became very famous in the 1990s. He became one of the most recognized voices in Bollywood. He sang in many hit songs. He worked with popular music composers like Nadeem-Shravan, Anu Malik, and Jatin-Lalit. Together, they created many chart-topping songs. His romantic and heartfelt songs made him a favorite among music lovers. He has won many awards throughout his career.
Significant collaborations
Kumar Sanu worked with many talented music composers. These partnerships led to some of his biggest hits.
Nadeem–Shravan
.jpg)
Kumar Sanu got his big break with music directors Nadeem–Shravan. They gave him the chance to sing most of the songs for the movie Aashiqui (1990). The movie and its songs were a huge success. They worked together on many other popular films. Some of these include Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), Saajan (1991), Raja Hindustani (1996), and Dhadkan (2000). He sang a total of 293 songs for them.
Anu Malik
Kumar Sanu sang many different types of songs with Anu Malik. Anu Malik even made Kumar Sanu sing his first Western-style song, "Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen," from the film Baazigar (1993). They also worked on films like Sir (1993), Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), and Biwi No.1 (1999).
Jatin–Lalit
Kumar Sanu started working with Jatin–Lalit in 1992 for the film Khiladi. He sang for many hit movies with them. These include Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). He sang 137 songs for this duo.
Himesh Reshammiya
Kumar Sanu sang for Himesh Reshammiya's TV serial title tracks. He also sang in Reshammiya's first film as a music director, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998). They worked together on films like Bandhan (1998) and Jodi No.1 (2001).
Rajesh Roshan
Kumar Sanu's work with Rajesh Roshan started with "Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaye" in Jurm (1990). They created many hits together. Some notable films include Karan Arjun (1995), Koyla (1997), and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000).
Viju Shah
Kumar Sanu lent his voice to some of Viju Shah's best songs. Their popular albums include Mohra (1994), Gupt (1997), and Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001).
Anand–Milind
Kumar Sanu recorded over 150 songs with Anand–Milind. He sang lively songs for them, especially for actor Govinda. They had hits in films like Coolie No. 1 (1995) and Hero No. 1 (1997).
Bappi Lahiri
Bappi Lahiri composed music for several popular albums where Kumar Sanu sang. These include films like Ghayal (1990) and Aankhen (1993).
Other works
Kumar Sanu has also released albums of songs by his idol, Kishore Kumar. He even composed music for some Indian films, like Utthaan. Famous singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle have sung for his music compositions.
He has also been a judge on several TV music reality shows. These include Waar Parriwar on Sony TV and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on Zee TV. Currently, he is a judge on Super Singer on Star Jalsha.
Besides singing and composing, Kumar Sanu has also produced films. In 2006, he produced his first Hindi film, Utthaan. He also worked on Yeh Sunday Kyun Aata Hai, a film about children living on the streets of Mumbai.
Kumar Sanu is a trustee and Brand Ambassador for Bishwa Bandhan, a foundation that helps children with cerebral palsy. He also opened a primary school called Kumar Sanu Vidya Niketan in Delhi. This school provides free uniforms and books to underprivileged children.
In 2024, Kumar Sanu launched his own music label on YouTube, called "The Kumar Sanu Official: https://www.youtube.com/@thekumarsanuofficial: https://www.youtube.com/@thekumarsanuofficial".
Work with other singers
Kumar Sanu has sung many hit duet songs with other famous singers. He has collaborated with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Alka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Anuradha Paudwal, and Shreya Ghoshal. He also sang many duets with his daughter, Shannon K, who is a pop singer. In 2023, he worked with Arijit Singh on an album.
Politics
In 2004, Kumar Sanu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, a political party in India. However, he later left to focus on his singing career. He rejoined the party in 2014.
Comeback
Kumar Sanu returned to playback singing in 2012. He sang "Chhammak Chhallo Chhail Chhabili" for the film Rowdy Rathore (2012). In 2015, his voice was used for the Yash Raj Films logo in the movie Dum Laga Ke Haisha. This was special because it was the first time in 45 years that Lata Mangeshkar's voice was replaced for the logo in a YRF film.
In 2023, Kumar Sanu sang for Rajkummar Rao in Guns & Gulaabs. He also sang in the "Scar Movie." Recently, he sang 7 songs for an album called "Dua."
Accolades
See also
- List of Indian playback singers
