Udit Narayan | |
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 Narayan in 2019 | |
| Born | Udit Narayan Jha (1955-12-01)1 December 1955 (age 70) Baisi,Supaul district,Bihar, India |
| Alma mater | Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus,Tribhuvan University |
| Occupation | Playback singer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Aditya Narayan |
| Relatives | Shweta Agarwal (daughter-in-law) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Honours |
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| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocal |
| Labels |
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Musical artist | |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Genre | Music |
| Subscribers | 3.5 million |
| Views | 3.3 billion |
| Last updated: 1 December 2025 | |
Udit Narayan Jha (born 1 December 1955;pronunciationⓘ) is an Indianplayback singer whose songs are featured inIndian cinema, primarilyHindi films.
He has won fourNational Film Awards[1] and fiveFilmfare Awards, with twenty nominations among many others. He won theNational Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer three times for the songsMitwa fromLagaan (2001),Jaane Kyon Log fromDil Chahta Hai (2001),Chhote Chhote SapneZindagi Khoobsoorat Hai (2002) andYeh Taara Woh Taara fromSwades (2004). He also won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bhojpuri in 2005 as the producer ofKab Hoi Gawna Hamar. He was awarded theLata Mangeshkar Award by theGovernment of Madhya Pradesh in 2015.[2][3] TheGovernment of India honoured him with thePadma Shri in 2009[4] and thePadma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution to arts and culture.[5]
His contribution to the Indian music industry was recognised byLata Mangeshkar, who bestowed upon him the titlePrince of Playback Singing.[6]
He made his Hindi playback debut withMohammed Rafi inUnees-Bees (1980).[7]
In recognition of his contribution to Nepalese music, theKing of Nepal,Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, awarded him theOrder of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu in 2001.[8] He is the only male singer inFilmfare Awards history to have won across three decades: the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.[9]
Udit Narayan Jha was born on 1 December 1955 in an ethnicMaithil Brahmin family to Nepalese national Harekrishna Jha and Indian national Bhuvaneshwari Jha.[10][11][12] When his acceptance of thePadma Shri led to criticism in Nepal, he told the Nepalese dailyKantipur that he was "from Nepal but his mother's home was in Bihar."[13] In a 2017 interview with the Indian magazineOutlook, he clarified that he was born in Baisi, a village inBihar, and clarified that his father Harekrishna was a native of Nepal.[12] In September 2018, at a ceremony held by the Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America, he stated that he identifies as aBihari.[14]
During his teen years, Narayan performed as a staff singer forRadio Nepal and sang in hotels aroundKathmandu.[15] He made active efforts to pursue a musical career, which were not supported by his father, who urged him to pursue a profession as a doctor or engineer.[16][17]
In 1978, he received a music scholarship through a cultural-exchange programme to study classical music atBhartiya Vidya Bhavan in Mumbai.[18]
While in Mumbai, he visited several music directors' offices and auditioned frequently, initially struggling to secure opportunities.[15]
Narayan’s Bollywood career began in 1980 when music directorRajesh Roshan offered him his first playback opportunity in the filmUnees-Bees, where he recorded a duet with Mohammed Rafi.[19]
His major breakthrough came in 1988 with the soundtrack ofQayamat Se Qayamat Tak, performed withAlka Yagnik. The songPapa Kehte Hain became a nationwide hit and earned him theFilmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer in 1989.[20]
Narayan won his secondFilmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the songMendi Laga Ke Rakhna fromDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge at the 1996 Filmfare Awards.[21][22]
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Narayan won his fourth Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the songChand Chhupa Badal Mein from the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2000), making him the only singer inFilmfare history to win in three different decades.[citation needed]
He won his fifth Filmfare Award for the songMitwa from the film Lagaan (2001). For the same song, he also won his firstNational Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer, sharing the honor with his other songJaane Kyon Log fromDil Chahta Hai (2001). His second National Film Award in this category came forChhote Chhote Sapne fromZindagi Khoobsoorat Hai (2002), and his third for "Yeh Taara Woh Taara" fromSwades (2004). In addition, he won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bhojpuri in 2005 as the producer ofKab Hoi Gawna Hamar.
He received thePadma Shri in 2009.[23]
In 2016, Narayan was awarded thePadma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in recognition of his contribution to Indian music and playback singing.[24]
Narayan has won fourNational Film Awards and fiveFilmfare Awards. He was awarded the Order of Gorkha Dakshin Bahu, Fourth Class by the King of Nepal in 2001.[25] In India, he received the Padma Shri in 2009[26] and the Padma Bhushan in 2016,[27][28] the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar National Contribution Award in 2023,[29][30] and the International Buddha Peace Award & Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Award in 2023, awarded by the Maitry Peace Foundation.[31][32] Additionally, in 2012, he served as a jury member for film music at theGlobal Indian Music Academy Awards.[33]
Although primarily known as a playback singer, Narayan also made appearances as an actor, primarily inNepali cinema.
His most prominent acting role was in the 1985 Nepali filmKusume Rumal, directed byTulsi Ghimire, in which he both played the lead character and performed the soundtrack.[34][35]
In interviews, Narayan has stated that he took the acting role to support his career while establishing himself as a singer.[36]
In 2006, Ranjana Narayan claimed to be Narayan's first wife, but Narayan consistently denied it. Later, he accepted her as his wife, whom he married in 1984, and promised to provide for her maintenance.[37][38][39] Udit began a relationship with Deepa Gahatraj while still married to Ranjana. Udit and Deepa were married in 1985. With Deepa Gahatraj, he has one son,Aditya Narayan, who is also a playback singer.[40][37][41][42]
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