Kumar Sanu Biography
Kumar Sanu born as Kedarnath Bhattacharya is an Indian playback singer who is well known for rendering his voice in Bollywood movies of the 1990s and early 2000s.
He mainly sings for Hindi and Bengali films and was granted the Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award for five back to back years. In 2009, the Government of India granted him the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-most astounding non-military personnel respect, in acknowledgment of his accomplishments. Sanu strikingly holds the Guinness World Record for most melodies recorded by an artist in 24 hours with 28.
Kumar Sanu Age
Sanu was born on 20 October 1957 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He is 61 years old as of 2019
Kumar Sanu Family
His father, Pashupati Bhattacharya, was a vocalist and composer. He has a brother Tapan Bhattacharya and his elder sister Jayshree Mukherjee lived in the Sinthee area of Calcutta
Kumar Sanu Wife
He has been married twice. He first married Rita Sanu in 1980. The couple had three sons; Jesi Kumar born in 1988 and other two sons Jeeko and Jaan. The couple divorced in 1994 after his wife revealed his secret love relationship with actress Kunik Lal and Meenakshi Seshadri. He is married to Saloni Sanu. The couple has two daughters; Shannon Sanu, born in 2001 is an American singer and songwriter and Ana Sanu. The family lives in Landon
Kumar Sanu Height, Weight and Body Measurements
Height: 1.80 meters | 5’ 11”
Weight: 84 kg | 185 lbs
Body Measurements: Chest: 44 Inches, Waist: 36 Inches, Biceps: 13 Inches
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Black
Kumar Sanu Net Worth
He is said to be earning $19,230.77 per week, $83,333.33 per month and $1,000,000 per year. He has an estimated net worth of around $10 Million
Kumar Sanu Interview
My honesty was always held against me: Kumar Sanu
He was discovered by ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh, has crooned to 28 songs in 24 hours, received the Filmfare award for 5 consecutive years and has a number of hit tracks to his credit. Well, here’s a man who has been one of the finest finds of Bollywood. Presenting an exclusive interview with melody king- Kumar Sanu.
Sir, your factual name is Kedarnath Bhattacharjee. What’s the story behind the name change?
In my family, we all are bhakts (devotees) of Shivji. He is our family God. Hence, my father, Pashupatinath Bhattacharjee christened me Kedarnath. Personally, I never liked the name. So when I was training under Kalyanji-Anandji, they told me, “you have a great voice, but the major negative is that you are a Bengali.” People at the time had a certain image of Bengali singers because of their peculiar accent. So they suggested I resort to Kumar. And since, Sanu was my pet name, I was christened Kumar Sanu.
In your early years, you played the tabla. What would you like to tell today’s aspiring musicians who wish to pursue music but cannot play an instrument?
In order to become a singer, it’s not necessary to learn a musical instrument. Sur, taal and lai are the only important things.
Were you a good student?
I was a very bad student. (Laughs). I was never interested in studies and was notorious. I would study only two days prior to the exam and managed to pass.
What were your other interests then?
I was only interested in music. I would sing while playing the tabla and a friend would make a bongo out of milk cans. It was a carbon ka orchestra.
Are you still in touch with these friends from Kolkata?
Every time I visit Kolkata, we all meet and reminisce the good ol’ days. I am still very much in tune with my roots.
Your father was a disciplinarian. Despite this, you went on to sing at hotels in Kolkata. Wasn’t he upset with you?
My older brother and sister were always into music. They were a part of an orchestra. When I grew up, I joined them as a rhythm player. My father never minded me singing, but he insisted that I focus on studies as well.
What kind of music did you listen to as a youngster in Kolkata?
I grew up listening to khayal, thumri, folk music and much more. The music culture in Kolkata is extensive. I never had an interest in international music. I would listen to my father as he sang every night at home. He had a school and every year during Saraswati Puja, all the children would sing. Towards the end of the function, we would insist our father sing and that’s what impacted me in a big way. Every night when my father sang at home, there was a small mike that he would sing into and the entire mohalla would hear him sing.
How did you get your first job as a singer?
In 1979, I started singing in shows. At that time, there would be only one show in a week, unlike today. I got my first job at hotel Vineet in Kolkata that was fully vegetarian and did not serve alcohol. My father was especially fine with this because of the no-alcohol part. His older siblings had a history in there and my dad despised singing in hotels because of that.
How much was your first salary?
I drew a salary of about Rs. 4000 at the time. It was a huge figure then and I was very happy. One samosa in that hotel cost Rs. 180. It was a place frequented by millionaires.
Did your colleagues from back in the hotel make it big in music?
A few of them did but many didn’t. That’s because, after every show, they would drink and party and spend all the money they had. I would never party and head straight back home. I had a very simple life and was focused only on my craft. My behavior was all courtesy, my father.
So do you thank him for it?
Definitely. Not just for his discipline but for shaping my character.
How did you get into playback singing?
In my hotel years, I would often sing ghazals and Kishore Kumar songs. While crooning to Kishore Da’s songs, people would often compliment me that my voice was exactly like the singer. That’s when Bollywood aspirations set in and I felt that if I had to make it big in music, I’d have to step out of Kolkata. I moved to Mumbai. My father was strictly against it, but I still went chasing my dreams. I borrowed Rs. 1100 from my elder brother. In 1986, after landing in Mumbai, I stayed in a room in Vashi with a few friends. I got a job in 6 days at Aradhana guest house in Chembur. At the audition, I sang in front of a huge audience. The first song I sang was ‘Mere naina sawan bhaadon’ and got tips worth Rs. 9000. For the second song, I got Rs. 5000 as a tip. My job got confirmed at the very moment. I worked for a year there and then recorded a cassette of Kishore Kumar songs with my hard earned money.
Where did Jagjit Singh spot you?
While I was recording these Kishore Kumar songs, I came across Jagjitji. He would record his ghazals at the same studio. When he heard my songs, he was very impressed. Jagjitji insisted on meeting me there. I was totally unaware that he was in the studio. I was awestruck when I saw him. I touched his feet and he invited me home at 12 pm the next day. I went there. On meeting Jagjitji, he asked me to sing a peppy Kishore Kumar number.
I sang ‘Mere Saamnewali Khidki’. He gave me a pen and paper and asked me to learn a new song. I learned the song in five minutes and he then drove me to Famous studios in Tardeo. I sang the song in about 10-15 minutes and Jagjitji hugged me right after. He pulled out Rs. 1500 from his pocket and handed it to me. We took the song and then went to Peddar road to meet Kalyanji-Anandji. The music directors heard my song and they loved it too. That’s how my career took off.
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