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Kailash Kher | |
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.jpg) Kher in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1973-07-07)7 July 1973 (age 52) Delhi, India |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Soor Mandir |
| Website | www |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2017) |
Kailash Kher (born 7 July 1973) is an Indianplayback singer, live performer, andcomposer. His music infusesIndian folk andSufi traditions withpop rock and spiritual influences. His most acclaimed songs areTeri Deewani,Saiyaan,Kaun Hain Voh,Jay Jaykara, Bam Lahiri,Yuh Hi Chala Chala,Ya Rabba, andAllah Ke Bande.[1][2] In 2017, he received thePadma Shri award from theGovernment of India.[3]
He has received twoFilmfare Awards for playback singing inHindi andTelugu.[4] Since 2014, he promotes Indian folk culture through the Kailash Kher Academy (KKALA) and a reality series, Bharat Ka Amrit Kalash, showcasing traditional music from across India.[5]
Kher was born on 7 July 1973 in Vinod Nagar, a village in theMayur Vihar area ofEast Delhi, into aKashmiri family. His father, Mehar Singh Kher, was a traditionalfolk singer and his mother is Chandrakanta Mehar Singh Kher.[6][7][8] Kher also spent a significant part of his childhood inMeerut, Uttar Pradesh.[6]
Kher’s passion for music began in childhood.[9] At 14, he left home to find a guru or institution for classical and folk music training, as pursuing his passion required isolation.[10] To support himself, he taught students to cover his living and educational expenses.[11] Unable to find a suitableguru or institution, Kher continued his learning by listening to renowned masters of music.[12]
Kher worked in a family friend’s Indian handicraft export business until it collapsed in 1999.[13] Following this, he faced depression and attempted suicide. He then spent six months inSingapore andThailand.[14] After returning toNew Delhi with his family, he completed his graduation fromDelhi University via a correspondence program.[15][16]
In February 2009, Kher married Sheetal Bhan, and their son Kabir was born later that December.[17][18]
In 2001, Kher moved to Mumbai to pursue singing, living in hostels and taking jobs in the advertisingmusic industry to support himself.[19][20] He was referred toRam Sampath for a Nakshatra diamondsjingle, providing a decent start with ₹5,000 (~$57) earnings.[21] He recorded jingles for various television and radio commercials, gaining recognition for his distinctive singing style with brands likeCoca-Cola,Citibank,Pepsi,IPL andHonda Motorcycles.[22]
In 2003, Kher's breakthrough came with songRabba Ishq Na Hove fromAndaaz after initial efforts inBollywood.[23][24]Allah Ke Bande fromWaisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II (2003) significantly enhanced his popularity.[25] He sang inMangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), in which he also had a cameo appearance, and recorded “O Sikander” forCorporate (2006).[26]
In 2006, Kailash Kher releasedTeri Deewani on his debut albumKailasa, performed by his Sufi fusion band Kailasa. The song was acclaimed for its soulful expression of love and devotion, highlighted by Kher’s powerful vocals.[27]
In 2007,Ya Rabba fromSalaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love was widely popular and received well by audience.[28][29] In addition, he sangKaun Hain Voh forBaahubali: The Beginning;[30][31] andJay Jaykara andJal Rahi Hai Chita forBaahubali 2: The Conclusion.[32]
Kher's voice has been described as raw, soulful, fresh, high-pitched, and sharp.[33] He mainly singsGhazal,Sufi,Qawwali,folk, and otherdevotional songs.[34] Most of his film or non-film albums includeromantic tracks with a touch of classical music, traditional lyrics, and regional languages.[35]
His musical influences encompass legends such asGokulotsavji Maharaj,Hridaynath Mangeshkar,Kumar Gandharva,Bhimsen Joshi,Lata Mangeshkar andNusrat Fateh Ali Khan.[36]
Kher composed music for films includingChandni Chowk to China,Dasvidaniya,Sacred Evil,Sangini, andDesi Kattey, among others. He also penned lyrics for films such asKaal andTraffic Signal.[37]
By 2014, he had sung in more than 20 Indian languages, includingMalayalam,Tamil,Telugu,Kannada,Oriya,Bengali,Sindhi,Bhojpuri,Gujarati,Marathi,Punjabi,Konkani, andRajasthani, and had recorded over 500 songs for the Hindi film industry and more than 1,000 radio and television jingles.[38][39]
He later ventured into Kannada cinema; songs include “Hale Patre” fromJunglee and “Ekka Raaja Raani” fromJackie.
He composed and sang the title track ofStar Plus’s seriesDiya Aur Baati Hum withShubha Mudgal, and also sang the title track ofColors’ seriesUdaan, as well as the anthem forSwachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Kher formed the bandKailasa inMumbai in 2004 with Mumbai-based musician brothers Paresh Kamath and Naresh Kamath.[40]
The band's first album,Kailasa, was released in March 2006. Their second album,Jhoomo Re, was released in May 2007.[41] Kailasa's third album,Chaandan Mein, was released in June 2009. He made his first international album on the independent record labelCumbancha.[41] He released his fourth album,Rangeele, through his own company Kailasa Records in January 2012. In 2016, Kher returned with his new albumIshq Anokha.[42]
As part of a recent output of Kailasa, a devotional single "Gajaananaa" was released in August 2025. This song was a musical prompt on the occasion ofGanesh Chaturthi.[43]
He performed for the Southeast Asian diaspora and for international audiences at festivals and venues such asGlobalFest at New York’sWebster Hall, theKennedy Center (Washington, D.C.),Stern Grove Festival (San Francisco),Celebrate Brooklyn, the Santa Monica Pier Festival (Los Angeles),Fillmore Center (San Francisco), theHollywood Bowl (Los Angeles),Hammersmith Apollo (London),Symphony Hall (Birmingham), andMassey Hall (Toronto).[44]
In 2007, he joined a North American concert tour titled “The Incredibles,” alongsideAsha Bhosle,Sonu Nigam, andKunal Ganjawala. In March 2011, Kailasa performed at theKennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as part of the Maximum India festival.[45] Kher also performed at the closing ceremony of the2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.[46]
In 2012, as part of Kailasa’s third Nepal tour, Kher performed in Dhaka (Bangladesh), Nairobi (Kenya), Zimbabwe, Congo, Karachi (Pakistan), and Muscat (Oman).[47]
Kher has appeared in various television shows, includingWind of Change (Bangladesh) (Gaan Bangla),[48] Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs (Zee TV), Mission Ustaad (9X),Indian Idol 4 (Sony), IPL Rockstar (Colors), and Rock On (MTV).[49][50] In 2009, he appeared as a judge onIndian Idol 4 alongsideJaved Akhtar,Sonali Bendre, andAnu Malik.
In 2013, he collaborated with singerShreya Ghoshal for the first time on a campaign titled “Project Resound: Upgrade Your Ears,” for which he wrote and composed the song “Naina Chaar” and invited Ghoshal to sing.[51][52] The online initiative bySony Music India promoted listening awareness and also marketed Sony headphones.
On 15 March 2014, he appeared on the celebrity talk showComedy Nights with Kapil during Holi celebrations.
In 2011, Kher composed a song called “Ambar Tak Yehi Naad Goonjega” for the anti-corruption movement led byAnna Hazare, popularly known as the “India Against Corruption Movement”. Kher did not charge a professional fee for singing the song.[53]
Kher was featured in the Clean India Mission theme song “Swachh Bharat ka Irada Kar Liya Hum Ne,”[54] written byPrasoon Joshi. To promote the Clean India Mission, he visited several places in the prime minister’s parliamentary constituency.
Kher appeared in a viral video campaign titled #KyaKisikoPadiHai with Jose Covaco as part of theSwachh Bharat Mission. The campaign was directed by Harnish Ambaliya.[55]
Kher was one of the performers at the community reception held at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, on 27 September 2015.[56] The reception was part of the Prime Minister's initial US tour.
In 2019, Kher sang a song titled “Bol Re Dilli Bol,” based on contemporary political events in Delhi; it forms part of the seven‑episode web series “Transparency: Pardarshita.”[57][58]
In 2018, Kher was accused of inappropriate behaviour and harassment by some women during theMe Too movement (India).[59][60] Kher denied the allegations stating that "Accusing without a formal complaint isn't authentic".[61] However, he issued a public apology for any unintentional behaviour that may have made the complainants uncomfortable.[62]
 Kailash Kher | ||||||||
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| Totals[a] | ||||||||
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| Wins | 10 | |||||||
| Nominations | 4 | |||||||
Note
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| Year | Award(s) | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Nepal Tourism Year Goodwill Ambassador 2011 | Overall Contribution | Won |
| 2010 | Yash Bharti Award | Excellence in folk and classical music | Won |
| 2017 | Padma Shri – Fourth Highest Indian National Honour | Art-Music | Won |
| 2019 | SIIMA Award for Best Male Playback Singer – Telugu | Bharat Ane Nenu | Nominated |
See 1:15 to 4:03 - "I was born in Delhi, but people think my birth place to be Meerut. In Delhi, I was born in a village called Vinodnagar, in Mayur Vihar"
It may be mentioned here that Kailash Kher was born 7 July 1973 in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh to a family with Kashmiri roots. His father's name is Mehar Singh Kher and his mother Chandrakanta Mehar Singh Kher.
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
