Udit Narayan

Born in 1955 in Baisi, in the Indian state of Bihar, within a Nepal-connected family, Udit Narayan trained between Bihar, Kathmandu and Mumbai, a path that illuminates his singular place in South Asian film music. A playback singer active since the 1980s, Udit Narayan established himself in Hindi cinema while also recording in Nepali and in several Indian languages. His repertoire blends filmi, pop, semi-classical, bhajan and folkloric influences, with a clear, supple voice immediately identifiable, suited to romantic ballads as well as lighter songs. After beginnings at Radio Nepal and then classical music training in Mumbai, he appears in Hindi cinema with Unees-Bees in 1980. His career takes on a new dimension in the late 1980s with the songs of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), and then continues throughout the 1990s and 2000s on Bollywood’s major soundtracks, often alongside performers like Alka Yagnik. Udit Narayan has also left his mark on films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai or Swades, in a narrative and melodic singing style closely tied to the writing of Indian popular cinema. Udit Narayan thus remains associated with several decades of film music, between vocal tradition, popular culture and the crosscurrents between Indian and Nepalese scenes.