Kumar Sanu | |
|---|---|
 Kumar Sanu at Indian Telly Awards | |
| Born | Kedarnath Bhattacharya (1957-10-20)20 October 1957 (age 68) Calcutta, West Bengal, India (present-day Kolkata) |
| Other names | Melody King of Bollywood[1] |
| Occupation | Playback singer |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Known for | Playback singing in 1990s Bollywood films |
| Notable work | Aashiqui (1990),Saajan (1991),Deewana (1992) |
| Spouses | |
| Awards | Full list |
| Honors | Padma Shri(2009) |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Genre | Music |
| Subscribers | 1.25 million |
| Views | 2.2 billion |
| Last updated: 1 December 2025 | |
Kumar Sanu (born Kedarnath Bhattacharya on 20 October 1957pronunciationⓘ) is an Indianplayback singer who gained recognition inHindi cinema during the 1990s.[1] He is known for his melodious voice and prolific output, recording songs in multiple languages includingHindi,Bengali,Nepali,Marathi,Tamil,Telugu,Kannada,Malayalam,Gujarati,Punjabi,Bhojpuri andOdia.[2]
Sanu gained widespread recognition with the soundtrack ofAashiqui (1990), which featured him in nearly all of the male solo songs and established him as a leading playback singer of that period.[3]
He won theFilmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for five consecutive years from 1990 to 1995, for films includingAashiqui (1990),Saajan (1991),Deewana (1992),Baazigar (1993) and1942: A Love Story (1994).[4]
In 1993, Sanu entered theGuinness World Records for recording 28 songs in a single day.[5]
Several of his songs were included in theBBC "Top 40Bollywood soundtracks of all time".[6] He has also appeared as a mentor and judge on television music reality shows.[7]
In recognition of his contributions to Indian music, Sanu was awarded thePadma Shri by the Government of India in 2009.[8]
Kumar Sanu's father, Pashupati Bhattacharya, was a vocalist and composer.[9] He and his elder sister lived in Panchanantala at Gopal Bose Lane in theSinthee area ofNorth Kolkata.[10]
Kumar Sanu's first marriage was to Rita Bhattacharya in the 1980s.[11] The couple had three children.[12] They divorced in 1994. During their marriage, Kumar Sanu had entered a six-year relationship with actressKunickaa Sadanand.[13][14]
After separating fromKunickaa Sadanand, Kumar Sanu married Saloni Bhattacharya. They have two daughters, includingShannon K, a singer.[15][16][17]
Kumar Sanu, born Kedarnath Bhattacharya, began his playback career in 1984 with the filmYeh Desh, followed by the Bangladeshi filmTin Konya (1985). He gained recognition in Hindi cinema with "Jashn Hai Mohabbat Ka" fromHero Hiralal (1988).[3]
In 1989, singerJagjit Singh introduced him to composersKalyanji andAnandji, who encouraged him to adopt the stage name "Kumar Sanu". He contributed to the soundtrack ofJaadugar (1989).[18]
Sanu rose to prominence withAashiqui (1990), recording nearly all male solo numbers, and won his firstFilmfare Award. He subsequently won Best Male Playback Singer for five consecutive years forAashiqui (1990),Saajan (1991),Deewana (1992),Baazigar (1993), and1942: A Love Story (1994).[19][2]
He recorded songs in multiple languages, including Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Odia, and Urdu.[2] In 1993, he entered theGuinness World Records for recording 28 songs in a single day.[5] Some of his notable songs from the decade include tracks fromDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995),Raja Hindustani (1996),Pardes (1997),Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) andHum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999).[19]
During the 1990s, Sanu andUdit Narayan were two of the leading male playback singers. Their professional rivalry was widely noted in media coverage, though both maintained a cordial relationship.[20]
During the 1990s, Kumar Sanu frequently collaborated with prominent female playback singers, particularlyAlka Yagnik. Several sources noted that their duets were among the most popular of the decade.[21] He also sang withAnuradha Paudwal,Kavita Krishnamurthy, andSadhana Sargam.[21]
Sanu's presence in mainstream Bollywood declined during the 2000s, though he continued recording songs and performing live shows domestically and internationally.[22][23]
In 2009, he was awarded thePadma Shri by the Government of India.[24]
From the 2010s onward, Sanu focused on nostalgia concerts and stage events celebrating 1990s and early 2000s Bollywood music.[25]
Kumar Sanu has released several tribute albums ofKishore Kumar's songs includingKishore Ki Yaadein and the Yaadein Series, which he performed along with singersAbhijeet andVinod Rathod.[26][27]
In 2017, he, along withSadhana Sargam, sang the title track of the 19th-century-based TV Series "Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hain", where he also made a cameo appearance.[28] In 2019, he recorded a song forStar Plus's "Kulfi Kumar Bajewala".[29]
InDelhi'sKarol Bagh, Sanu also founded a primary school for underprivileged children that provides students uniforms and books free of cost.[30]
In 2022, Kumar Sanu collaborated with music director Vaibhav Saxena and two other singers for "Mohabbat Mein Tere Sanam" which was released and distributed worldwide by new-age Record Label Music Records.[31]
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Media related toKumar Sanu at Wikimedia Commons
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