Udit Narayan Jha
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Udit Narayan Jha, widely known as Udit Narayan, is a versatile playback singer celebrated for his contributions to commercial Nepali, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema. Born on December 1st, Udit Narayan is the son of Hare Krishna Jha, a farmer, and Bhuwaneshwari Devi, belonging to the Brahmin caste.
His journey into the world of music began at a young age of 10 when he started singing for Radio Nepal, performing Maithli and Nepali folk songs. He dedicated almost eight years of his early career to Kathmandu Radio Nepal Station. His talent was recognized by the Indian Embassy, which offered him a music scholarship to study classical music at the renowned Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan in Mumbai.
Without hesitation, Udit Narayan moved to Mumbai in 1978 to pursue his musical education. His big break came in 1980 when the noted music director Rajesh Roshan invited him to sing a song in the Hindi movie "Unees Bees." This opportunity allowed him to sing alongside his inspiration, the legendary Mohammed Rafi.
However, his career soared to great heights in 1988 with the release of the superhit Bollywood movie "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak." His rendition of "Papa Kehte Hain" in this film earned him his first Filmfare Award and marked the beginning of his successful journey as a playback singer in the Indian film industry. This film also catapulted actors Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla, as well as playback singer Alka Yagnik, to stardom.
In the years that followed, Udit Narayan continued to lend his enchanting voice to numerous hit songs in both Hindi and Nepali cinema. His association with Aamir Khan, in particular, resulted in several chart-topping tracks in movies like "Dil," "Jo Jeeta Wohi Shikander," and more.
During the mid-1990s, he faced tough competition from Kumar Sanu, another immensely popular Indian playback singer. However, Udit Narayan made a remarkable comeback with the iconic song "Mehndi Lagake Rakhna" in the movie "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge," which won him his second Filmfare Award.
He continued to dominate the Bollywood playback singing scene for the next decade, collaborating with renowned music directors and film directors, including his notable partnership with Shahrukh Khan in many superhit movies.
Udit Narayan's unique voice and originality have earned him praise from legendary singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Anup Jalota, Pankaj Udhas, and more. He is considered one of the greatest singers of his generation, known for his quality of voice and authenticity.
In addition to his Bollywood career, Udit Narayan has sung in various regional languages, gaining immense popularity in each. He has even released a successful private Nepali album titled "Upahaar," which earned him multiple awards in Nepal, including Record of the Year and Album of the Year during the Hits FM Awards 2004.
