Kumar Sanu

Kumar Sanu
Kumar Sanu at Indian Telly Awards
Born
Kedarnath Bhattacharya

(1957-10-20) 20 October 1957 (age 68)
Calcutta, West Bengal, India (present-day Kolkata)
Other namesMelody King of Bollywood[1]
OccupationPlayback singer
Years active1983–present
Known forPlayback singing in 1990s Bollywood films
Notable workAashiqui (1990), Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992)
Spouses
Rita Bhattacharya
​
​
(m. 1986; div. 1994)​
Saloni Bhattacharya
​
(m. 2001)​
AwardsFull list
HonorsPadma Shri(2009)
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2014–present
GenreMusic
Subscribers1.25 million
Views2.2 billion
Last updated: 1 December 2025

Kumar Sanu (born Kedarnath Bhattacharya on 20 October 1957 pronunciationⓘ) is an Indian playback singer who gained recognition in Hindi cinema during the 1990s.[1] He is known for his melodious voice and prolific output, recording songs in multiple languages including Hindi, Bengali, Nepali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri and Odia.[2]

Sanu gained widespread recognition with the soundtrack of Aashiqui (1990), which featured him in nearly all of the male solo songs and established him as a leading playback singer of the period. [3]

He won the Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for five consecutive years from 1990 to 1995, for films including Aashiqui (1990), Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Baazigar (1993) and 1942: A Love Story (1994).[4]

In 1993, Sanu entered the Guinness World Records for recording 28 songs in a single day.[5]

Several of his songs were included in the BBC "Top 40 Bollywood soundtracks of all time".[6] He has also appeared as a mentor and judge on television music reality shows.[7]

In recognition of his contributions to Indian music, Sanu was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009.[8]

Early life

Kumar Sanu's father, Pashupati Bhattacharya, was a vocalist and composer.[9] He and his elder sister lived in Panchanantala at Gopal Bose Lane in the Sinthee area of North Kolkata.[10]

Personal life

Kumar Sanu's first marriage was to Rita Bhattacharya in the 1980s.[11] The couple had three children.[12] They divorced in 1994. During their marriage, Kumar Sanu had entered a six-year relationship with actress Kunickaa Sadanand.[13][14]

After separating from Kunickaa Sadanand, Kumar Sanu married Saloni Bhattacharya. They have two daughters, including Shannon K, a singer.[15][16][17]

Career

Main article: Kumar Sanu discography and filmography

Kumar Sanu, born Kedarnath Bhattacharya, began his playback career in 1984 with the film Yeh Desh, followed by the Bangladeshi film Tin Konya (1985). He gained recognition in Hindi cinema with "Jashn Hai Mohabbat Ka" from Hero Hiralal (1988).[3]

1980s: Early career

In 1989, singer Jagjit Singh introduced him to composers Kalyanji and Anandji, who encouraged him to adopt the stage name "Kumar Sanu". He contributed to the soundtrack of Jaadugar (1989).[18]

1990s: Prime

Sanu rose to prominence with Aashiqui (1990), recording nearly all male solo numbers, and won his first Filmfare Award. He subsequently won Best Male Playback Singer for five consecutive years for Aashiqui (1990), Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Baazigar (1993), and 1942: A Love Story (1994).[19][2]

He recorded songs in multiple languages, including Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Odia, and Urdu.[2] In 1993, he entered the Guinness World Records for recording 28 songs in a single day.[5] Some of his notable songs from the decade include tracks from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Raja Hindustani (1996), Pardes (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999).[19]

During the 1990s, Sanu and Udit Narayan were two of the leading male playback singers. Their professional rivalry was widely noted in media coverage, though both maintained a cordial relationship.[20]

Collaborations with female singers

During the 1990s, Kumar Sanu frequently collaborated with prominent female playback singers, particularly Alka Yagnik. Several sources noted that their duets were among the most popular of the decade.[21] He also sang with Anuradha Paudwal, Kavita Krishnamurthy, and Sadhana Sargam.[21]

2000s–present

Sanu's presence in mainstream Bollywood declined during the 2000s, though he continued recording songs and performing live shows domestically and internationally.[22][23]

In 2009, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.[24]

From the 2010s onward, Sanu focused on nostalgia concerts and stage events celebrating 1990s and early 2000s Bollywood music.[25]

Other works

Kumar Sanu has released several tribute albums of Kishore Kumar's songs including Kishore Ki Yaadein and the Yaadein Series, which he performed along with singers Abhijeet and Vinod Rathod.[26][27]

In 2017, he, along with Sadhana Sargam, sang the title track of the 19th-century-based TV Series "Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hain", where he also made a cameo appearance.[28] In 2019, he recorded a song for Star Plus's "Kulfi Kumar Bajewala".[29]

In Delhi's Karol Bagh, Sanu also founded a primary school for underprivileged children that provides students uniforms and books free of cost.[30]

In 2022, Kumar Sanu collaborated with music director Vaibhav Saxena and two other singers for "Mohabbat Mein Tere Sanam" which was released and distributed worldwide by new-age Record Label Music Records.[31]

Accolades

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Kumar Sanu

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Tripathi, Shailaja (29 August 2017). "Notes to note from the melody king of Bollywood, Kumar Sanu". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Kumar Sanu – Biography & Profile". Veethi. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b Rao, Justin (16 March 2023). "Kumar Sanu on his 35-year career, Bollywood music over the years". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Filmfare Awards Winners". Filmfare. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Kumar Sanu records 28 songs in 24 hours". Navbharat Live. 20 October 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  6. ^ "BBC – Asian Network – Top 40 Soundtracks of All Time". BBC. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  7. ^ Sharma, Rohit (5 March 2022). "Kumar Sanu judges music reality show". Times of India. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Padma Awards". Government of India. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  9. ^ Joshi, Sumit. Bollywood through Ages + Affairs of Bollywood Stars Revealed ( Special Edition ). Best Book Reads. ISBN 978-1-310-09978-6.
  10. ^ "A Singer Acts". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 April 1997. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Kumar Sanu's daughter Shannon K reveals she was depressed as a teen due to online trolls: 'I self-harmed'". Hindustan Times. 25 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Kumar Sanu says son Jaan Kumar Sanu should change his name: 'He should write Jaan Rita Bhattacharya'". Hindustan Times. 25 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Jaan Kumar Sanu: It was very daunting to know Kumar Sanu is my father - Exclusive". The Times of India. 3 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Exclusive - Bigg Boss 14's Jaan's mom Rita Bhattacharya on Kumar Sanu commenting on his upbringing: He should have realised that he is talking about his own son". The Times of India. 21 November 2020.
  15. ^ thomasowen408 (17 May 2017). "Meet Shannon K, The Summer's Best Up And Coming Artist !". BuzzFeed Community. Retrieved 20 April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Kumar Sanu's daughter turns singer at 12". The Times of India. 7 August 2014.
  17. ^ "Kumar Sanu's Daughter Shannon On Making Her "Own Identity": "Not Here Because Of My Dad's Name"".
  18. ^ "'90s rockstar Kumar Sanu opens up about his musical journey over the years'". Filmfare. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Kumar Sanu Artist Profile". AAE Music. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  20. ^ "Kumar Sanu opens up about his infamous rivalry with Udit Narayan". Times of India. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Kumar Sanu: A look at the 90s playback singer's career". Times of India. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  22. ^ "Kumar Sanu – Music, Videos & Playlists". Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  23. ^ "Kumar Sanu belts romantic hits at evening of nostalgia". 9 June 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  24. ^ "Padma Awards 2009". Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  25. ^ "Kumar Sanu celebrates legacy of 90s music, calls it a 'golden era' of soulful compositions". Times of India. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  26. ^ "Kumar Sanu: The Melody Of His Voice Lingers On". Odisha Bytes. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  27. ^ "Singer Kumar Sanu on Being the King of Melody". iDiva. 13 September 2013. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  28. ^ India-West, R. M. VIJAYAKAR, Special to. "Kumar Sanu Makes Cameo Appearance in 'Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai'". India West. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ "Kulfi Kumar Bajewala | Kumar Sanu & SiKulfi". YouTube. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Singer Kumar Sanu opens school for the underprivileged.. - Bollywood.com News". 23 August 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  31. ^ Jha, Gunjan; Saxena, Vaibhav (4 March 2022). "Kumar Sanu teams up with youngsters to bring melody back – Gunjan Jha, Vaibhav Saxena create magical tunes; Kshitij, Diksha lend velvet voice". The Week. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2025.

Media related to Kumar Sanu at Wikimedia Commons

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumar_Sanu