Kumar Sanu

Kedarnath Bhattacharjee (alias Kumar Sanu) (born 23 September 1957 in Kolkata) is a leading Indian Bollywood playback singer.He was awarded the Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for five consecutive years. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2009

Kumar Sanu was born into a Bengali Hindu Kulin Brahmin family. Sanu's father, Pashupati Bhattacharya, was a vocalist and composer. He trained Sanu as a singer and tabla player. After getting a degree in commerce from Calcutta University, Sanu began performing in 1979, singing at shows and restaurants around Calcutta. He tried to model his singing style after Bollywood singer Kishore Kumar. Later, he developed his own singing style.

Sanu started his play back career with a Bangladeshi movie Tin Kanya directed by Shibli Sadiq in 1986.

In 1987, music director and singer Jagjit Singh offered Sanu the chance to sing in the Hindi film Aandhiyan. Sanu then relocated to Mumbai, where Kalyanji-Anandji gave him chance to sing in the film Jaadugar. Kalyanji-Anandji suggested that he change his name from Kedar Nath Bhattacharya.

Sanu went on to work with composers including Naushad, Ravindra Jain, Hridayanath Mangeshkar, Pt.R K Razdan, Kalyanji Anandji, and Usha Khanna.

For the 1990 film Aashiqui, music directors Nadeem-Shravan got Sanu to sing all but one of the songs. He won the first of his record five consecutive Filmfare Awards as Best Male Playback Singer. His next Filmfare Awards came for songs in the movies Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Baazigar (1993), and 1942: A Love Story (1994).

Significant collaborations

Nadeem-Shravan
Sanu often collaborated with Nadeem-Shravan. Some of their big success included songs from movies like Aashiqui (1990), Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Sadak (1991), Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Dil Ka Kya Kasoor (1992), Kal Ki Awaz (1992), Salami (1993), Damini – Lightning (1993), Dilwale (1994), Agni Sakshi (1996), Raja Hindustani (1996), Jeet (1996), Pardes (1997), Sirf Tum (1999), Kasoor (2001), Dil Ka Rishta (2003), Andaaz (2003), among others.

Jatin Lalit
Sanu started his work with Jatin Lalit from the 1992 film Khiladi, from then on he provided his voices for hit movies like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993) Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Khamoshi (1996), Yes Boss (1997), Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai (1998), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998), Ghulam (1998), Dil Kya Kare (1999).

Anu Malik
Sanu has sung various genres of songs with Anu Malik. Specifically Anu Malik is the one who has made Sanu to sing his first western type song 'Yeh Kaale Kaale Aankhe' from Baazigar (1993) and Kumar Sanu became a full fledged versatile singer mainly because of Anu Malik. Some notable movies of their combo are Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee (1993), Sir (1993), Imtihaan (1994), Vijaypath (1994), Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Naaraaz (1994), Naajayaz (1995), Diljale (1996), Virasat (1997), Judwaa (1997), Tamanna (1997), Duplicate (1998), Ishq Vishq (2003), No Entry (2005) and many more.

Other composers
In a career spanning three decades he has sung with other composers including R.D. Burman, Bappi Lahiri, Anand-Milind, Himesh Reshammiya, Ismail Darbar, Kalyanji Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Rajesh Roshan, Sajid-Wajid, Viju Shah, Uttam Singh, Raam Laxman, Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen, Anand Raj Anand, Aadesh Shrivastava, Vishal–Shekhar, M. M. Keeravani, Vishal Bharadwaj, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Hridaynath Mangeshkar and also A. R. Rahman.

Other work

He has also created music for Indian films and also produced the Bollywood film, Utthaan. Currently Kumar Sanu team up with Rakesh Bhhatia and together they produced Hindi feature film based on the four street children of Mumbai. All four children are doing shoe- polish on railway platform in order to earn their daily bread and butter. Mithun Chakraborty is acting in his movie as a lead role. Recently Kumar Sanu has sang for epic Bengali film Hason Raja, which directed by UK-based filmmaker Ruhul Amin.

Sanu was in the panel of judges on Sony TV for Waar Parriwar, a reality show based on the bringing together of a singing gharana (family of singers) and on Zee Bangla TV in a music reality show called Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Vishwa Sera.

In 2012, he judged Zee Bangla musical reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Gane Gane Tomar Mone.

In 2013,he is currently judging Zee Bangla musical reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa- Lil Champs.

Politics

He joined Bharatiya Janata Party in 2004 in a ceremony headed by then Party President Venkiah Naidu