Kumar Sanu
Indian playback singer (born 1957)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kumar Sanu (born Kedarnath Bhattacharya on 20 October 1957 ⓘ) is an Indian playback singer who gained recognition in Hindi cinema during the 1990s.[1] He is known for his melodious voice and prolific output, recording songs in multiple languages including Hindi, Bengali, Nepali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri and Odia.[2]
20 October 1957
Kumar Sanu | |
|---|---|
Kumar Sanu at Indian Telly Awards | |
| Born | Kedarnath Bhattacharya 20 October 1957 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 | Rita Bhattacharya
(m. 1986; div. 1994)Saloni Bhattacharya (m. 2001) |
| 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 | |
Sanu gained widespread recognition with the soundtrack of Aashiqui (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 the Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for five consecutive years from 1990 to 1995, for films including Aashiqui (1990), Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Baazigar (1993) and 1942: A Love Story (1994).[4]
In 1993, Sanu entered the Guinness World Records for recording 28 songs in a single day.[5]
Several of his songs were included in the BBC "Top 40 Bollywood 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 the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009.[8]
Early life
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 the Sinthee area of North Kolkata.[10]
Personal life
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 actress Kunickaa Sadanand.[13][14]
After separating from Kunickaa Sadanand, Kumar Sanu married Saloni Bhattacharya. They have two daughters, including Shannon K, a singer.[15][16][17]
Career
Kumar Sanu, born Kedarnath Bhattacharya, began his playback career in 1984 with the film Yeh Desh, followed by the Bangladeshi film Tin Konya (1985). He gained recognition in Hindi cinema with "Jashn Hai Mohabbat Ka" from Hero Hiralal (1988).[3]
1980s: Early career
In 1989, singer Jagjit Singh introduced him to composers Kalyanji and Anandji, who encouraged him to adopt the stage name "Kumar Sanu". He contributed to the soundtrack of Jaadugar (1989).[18]
1990s: Prime
Sanu rose to prominence with Aashiqui (1990), recording nearly all male solo numbers, and won his first Filmfare Award. He subsequently won Best Male Playback Singer for five consecutive years for Aashiqui (1990), Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Baazigar (1993), and 1942: 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 the Guinness World Records for recording 28 songs in a single day.[5] Some of his notable songs from the decade include tracks from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Raja Hindustani (1996), Pardes (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999).[19]
During the 1990s, Sanu and Udit 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]
Collaborations with female singers
During the 1990s, Kumar Sanu frequently collaborated with prominent female playback singers, particularly Alka Yagnik. Several sources noted that their duets were among the most popular of the decade.[21] He also sang with Anuradha Paudwal, Kavita Krishnamurthy, and Sadhana Sargam.[21]
2000s–present
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 the Padma 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]
Other works
Kumar Sanu has released several tribute albums of Kishore Kumar's songs including Kishore Ki Yaadein and the Yaadein Series, which he performed along with singers Abhijeet and Vinod Rathod.[26][27]
In 2017, he, along with Sadhana Sargam, sang the title track of the 20th-century-based TV Series "Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hain", where he also made a cameo appearance.[28] In 2019, he recorded a song for Star Plus's "Kulfi Kumar Bajewala".[29]
In Delhi's Karol 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]
