INFORMATION
| Artist Birthday : | 01/12/1955 (Age 70) |
| Born In : | Jha |
| Occupation(s) : | Playback Singer |
| Genres : | Bollywood |
Widely known as one of the best playback singers to grace Indian Cinema, Udit Narayan has been a force to be reckoned with in the industry. He is also part of the Nepali film industry that has provided him with an unmatched fan following. The singer is the only male singer in the history of the Filmfare Awards to have won the awards over three decades (winning in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s).
Narayan was born on 1 December 1955 to Harekrishna Jha (Nepali) and Bhuvaneshwari Jha (Indian) in Baisi village of Supaul district of Bihar at his maternal grandparents’ home. In an interview, he also informed that his father Harekrishna belonged to Bhardaha, Saptari District, Sagarmathe Zone, Nepal but he identifies himself as a Bihari.
He started his studies at Jageshwar High School, Kunauli, Supaul, Bihar, India and completed his SSC. Later, he received his intermediate degree from Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Campus, Kathmandu, Nepal. Narayan’s father was a farmer, and his mother was a folk singer who initiated his love for music.
Debuting in 1970 as a staff singer for Radio Nepal he became the most prominent voice in the 1990s and early 2000s. During his early days, he shifted to Mumbai under a scholarship provided from the Indian Embassy to learn classical music at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan. Director Rajesh Roshan gave him his first break for the movie Unees Bees which paved the way for his glorious future. He is among the very few current playback singers that have shared the stage with Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. Narayan made a huge impact in 1988 through the blockbuster Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak for which he was awarded a Filmfare award.
According to the great singer, “Pehla Nasha” from the movie Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander is his best song with hit tracks from Pukar, Lagaan, Devdas, and Veer Zara. He has also judged popular reality shows like Indian Idol 3 and Waar Parriwar and has been on shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa I’ll Champs and Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star.
He was also part of a Nepali movie named Kusume Rumal (1985) which is recognized as one of the highest grossing Nepalese movies of all time. Apart from being popular among the masses, the singer has also been critically acclaimed for his music geniuses. He has won three National Film Awards and Five Filmfare Awards. Although he is not an active singer anymore yet his live shows are a treat for those who have grown up listing to his tracks.
