Happy Birthday Udit Narayan: “My work is all I need as a validation for my identity,” states the veteran singer

Playback singer Udit Narayan Jha and I speak in our mother tongue Maithili whenever we converse, which is quite rare. While his son Aditya is ultra-gregarious, reachable and very entertaining, his father is a bit of a hermit. But a man with a pure soul.

 

Happy Birthday Udit Narayan: “My work is all I need as a validation for my identity,” states the veteran singer

 

“It is true, I’ve always stayed away from controversies. For me my work is all I need as a validation for my identity. Have you ever seen my seeking the limelight? I quietly began singing 43 years ago. When I came to Mumbai to be a singer, I had no one in the city to give me a helping hand. I got my first song on my own merit, and to my delight, my first song ‘Mil gaya mila gaya’ was with the great Mohammed Rafi Saab in the film Unees Bees,” said Udit.

 

What does he recall about that first song? “First songs are like first love. I remember every detail. It was composed by Rajesh Roshanji. Usha Mangeshkarji was also part of that song. Very soon I got to sing with the legend Lataji in, I think, Bade Dilwala. The melody was ‘Jeevan ke din chote sahi’ composed by the late genius Rahul Dev Burmanji. Later I got an opportunity to sing many hits with Lataji in Dil To Pagal Hai and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. So you see I got a chance to work with the greatest musicians very early in my career. Aspiring towards excellence became a habit for me,” recalled Udit.

 

As a playback singer, has he stagnated? “Music has no limits. After 70 years of singing and being accepted by the whole world as the Nightingale of India, Lataji still wanted to better her singing. I learnt from her that there are no full stops in life. I want to sing better songs with a variety of music directors. I believe in God and myself. I've never forgotten my humble beginning. I came to Mumbai in 1978 and struggled for the next ten years,” Udit said.

 

Which are the milestone songs in Udit’s career? “‘Papa kehte hain’, of course. I owe my career to that song. ‘Jadoo teri nazar’ in Darr was another turning point and so was ‘Ruk jaa oh dil deewane’ in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. I am also very fond of ‘Ghar se nikalte hi’ from the film Papa Kehte Hain, and ‘Chand Chupa Badal Mein’ in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,” he recalled.

 

That brings us to his son Aditya Narayan. “He’s my only son. To have got a son like Aditya and a wife like Deepa is a big blessing. Now there is my granddaughter Tvisha. My world is complete,” said Udit.

 

Also Read: Udit Narayan gives an opportunity to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contestant Nishtha Sharma to perform at his upcoming concert

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