Kumar Sanu is a name that has become synonymous with Bollywood music over the past 35 years. His soulful voice and effortless delivery have captured the hearts of millions of music lovers across the globe.
Kumar Sanu, born Kedarnath Bhattacharya, started his career in 1984 and has given us some of the most memorable hits in Hindi film music.
Sanu, who was born in Kolkata to a family of musicians, charmed fans in 1990 with the soundtrack of the blockbuster film Aashiqui. What followed was a decade of dominance as the singer became the voice of falling in love, heartbreak, and reconciliation. Sanu’s voice served as a remedy for all ills and occasions for a generation of listeners in the 1990s.
“But it’s funny, I rarely listen to my songs!” In an interview, he said as he celebrates 35 years of his film playback career which began with the movie Hero Hiralal. “If my daughter plays my songs, I might hear them but otherwise I never play my songs! I feel if I spot something wrong, it will haunt me again. So out of fear, I never revisit my songs. People hear them, have been listening to them for more than three decades, that’s enough for me.”
The singer discusses his career, his lowly origins as a foundation for his success, his most challenging time, and why he is unimpressed by modern Hindi music. It is so difficult. It is dream-like. When I look back, I realize just how much I have struggled. I never realized that I’d get this much love, and reach this far. That I would continue to sing, be relevant. I had a goal in my mind and never wandered from it. That helped me move ahead. I wouldn’t have been here if I didn’t have the staircase of struggles.
As we celebrate Kumar Sanu’s 35-year career, it’s time to take stock of where Bollywood music stands today.