Kumar Sanu
One of the most prolific singers ever to work in the Indian film industry, Kumar Sanu's recorded output numbers in the thousands of songs, reaching by his estimation over 8,000 by the turn of the millennium. Sanu broke the Guinness world record for the largest number of songs recorded in a single day, with 28 -- a testament not only to his polished technique, but to his unparalleled ability to quickly and effortlessly master unfamiliar material in the studio. Sanu also holds the record (along with Lata Mangeshkar on the female side) for the longest string of consecutive Filmfare awards for Best Playback Singer (the equivalent of an Oscar and perhaps the most coveted musical award in India) with five, a streak that made him arguably the most popular male vocalist in India during the '90s. Kumar Sanu was born Kedernath Bhattacharjee and grew up in Calcutta; his father Pashupati Bhattacharjee was an accomplished classical vocalist and composer, and saw to his son's early musical training as a singer and tabla player. Getting a degree in commerce from Calcutta University, Sanu began performing publicly in 1979, singing at shows and restaurants around Calcutta in a style heavily influenced -- copied, some charged -- from film legend Kishore Kumar. Competition for singers in the Indian film industry was (and still is) extremely fierce, since it is the primary route to success in India, and it took Sanu several years to land his big break. He made his living in the early '80s partly by recording a series of Kishore Kumar covers for a pop label, but remained unable to make inroads into film. Finally, in 1987, music director Jagjit Singh -- noted for his mastery of the romantic ghazal song form -- offered Sanu the chance to sing in the Hindi film Andhiyan. Sanu relocated to Bombay, the capital of the Indian film industry, and soon landed another film, Jadoogar, helmed by the Kalyanji/Anandji team; they gave Sanu his stage name, partly to give him wider appeal outside of a strictly Bengali audience, and partly because of the heavy influence of his idol. Film fans began to take notice, poising Sanu for a major breakthrough. That breakthrough came in 1990 with the film Aashiqui, whose soundtrack was composed and directed by the Nadeem/Shravan team. Sanu sang all but one of the songs featured on the soundtrack album, which made him a star; he won the first of his record five consecutive Filmfare awards as Best Male Playback Singer, and began recording new material at a furious pace. He won Filmfares for his performances in Saajan, Deewana, Baazigar, and 1942: A Love Story (in order, up through 1994), but his work extended much farther, so much so that by the end of the decade he had recorded -- in many different languages -- for literally hundreds of films. As the '90s waned, Sanu slowed his amazing recording schedule a bit, feeling that he'd proven enough to become more selective in choosing his material (he preferred classic-style songs to newer, more Western-influenced pop). Seeking new challenges, he branched out into acting, appearing in a Bengali film and starting television serials in both Bengali and Hindi. He also became more comfortable with concert performances and embarked on frequent international tours. By the turn of the millennium, Sanu had promised to follow in fellow record-holder Lata Mangeshkar's footsteps by not accepting any further Filmfare awards (in order to make room for new talent), but the hits kept on coming through 1999 and 2000, and he continued to rival Udit Narayan as the most popular male singer in India.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Tumse Milne Ko Dil (Lofi Mix)
Pop - Released by Tips Industries Ltd on 13 Jun 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Jaati Hoon Main (Lofi Mix)
Pop - Released by Tips Industries Ltd on 2 Sep 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Saathiya
Kumar Sanu, Rashmi Virag, Javed-Mohsin
Indian Music - Released by Warner Music India on 20 Oct 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Pucho Zara Pucho (Lofi Mix)
Pop - Released by Tips Industries Ltd on 5 Jun 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Kaatlo Koto Somoy (Lofi)
Saptak Das, Jatin Lalit, Kumar Sanu
Soundtracks - Released by Mayur Cassettes LLP on 17 Jan 2024
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
-
Mujhe Jeena Aagaya
Kumar Sanu, Shannon K, The Lost Symbols Score
World - Released by Vivaan Filmz Production on 17 May 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Saawariya (DJ Akhil Talreja Lofi Edit)
DJ Akhil Talreja, Kumar Sanu, Aastha Gill
Indian Music - Released by Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd. on 18 Feb 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Aashiqui Me Hadse Guzerne De
Miscellaneous - Released by Audio7 on 1 Jul 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Guns & Gulaabs: Season 1 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series)
Film Soundtracks - Released by Netflix Music on 11 Aug 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Coolie No. 1 (2020) (Jhankar)
Chandana Dixit, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Anand - Milind
Film Soundtracks - Released by Tips Industries Ltd on 26 Feb 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Super Cool Kumar Sanu, Vol. 3
Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan
World - Released by Saregama on 11 Apr 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tere Ishq Mein Itna Pagal
Pop - Released by Weengs Melodies on 14 Sep 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rimjhim Rimjhim (Hip-Hop Mix) - Single
Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kumar Sanu
World - Released by Saregama on 26 Jan 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ultimate Bengali Hits of Kumar Sanu & Alka Yagnik Evergreen Collection
World - Released by Ishtar Music Pvt. Ltd. on 18 Jul 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1942 a Love Story - Jhankar Beats
Kumar Sanu, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sivaji Chatterjee
World - Released by Saregama on 22 Oct 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Romantic Melodies
Indian Music - Released by Red Ribbon Entertainment Pvt Ltd on 20 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Celebrating Kumar Sanu
Kumar Sanu, Sunidhi Chauhan, Lalitya Munshaw, Saswati Adhikari
Indian Music - Released by Red Ribbon Entertainment Pvt Ltd on 17 Oct 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha (From "1942 A Love Story") (Remix)
Kumar Sanu, Javed Akhtar, Rahul Dev Burman
World - Released by Saregama on 13 May 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo