Udit Narayan

Few playback voices have travelled as far between Kathmandu and Mumbai as Udit Narayan's. Born in 1955 to a Maithil Brahmin family, he began his working life singing for Radio Nepal and in hotels around Kathmandu, before a cultural-exchange scholarship took him to study classical music at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan in Mumbai in 1978. Hindi cinema has been his main stage, and Lata Mangeshkar gave him the title Prince of Playback Singing.

His Bollywood start came in 1980, when Rajesh Roshan gave him a duet with Mohammed Rafi in Unees-Bees. The breakthrough came in 1988 with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, and Papa Kehte Hain, sung with Alka Yagnik, became a nationwide hit and won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer in 1989. Later Filmfare wins came for Mendi Laga Ke Rakhna in 1996, Chand Chhupa Badal Mein in 2000 and Mitwa in 2001. He won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for Mitwa, Jaane Kyon Log, Chhote Chhote Sapne and Yeh Taara Woh Taara between 2001 and 2004. The Padma Shri followed in 2009 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.