Udit Narayan Jha known as Uditji, is a Nepalese playback singer whose songs have been featured mainly in Nepali and Hindi movies.Udit Narayan’s soulful and emotive voice continues to spellbind people for 3 decades. With an ability to sing in 32 different languages, his songs will stay in the hearts of all music lovers for generations to come.

Early Years

Udit Narayan began his singing career with Nepali, Maithili and Bhojpuri, and often sang for Radio Nepal as a staff artist. He made his playback singing debut in 1980, singing a duet with Sushma Shrestha for the Nepali film Sindoor. After this, he moved to Mumbai on a musical scholarship to Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan. In 1980, music composer Rajesh Roshan asked him to sing for the Hindi movie Unees Bees giving Udit a chance to sing with the renowned Mohammed Rafi. Soon, Udit sang for a number of Bollywood movies including films like Sannata (1981), Bade Dill Wale (1983) and Tan Badhan (1986).

By 1988, Anand –Milind gave him the opportunity to the hit movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which earned Udit the Filmfare award for the song Akele Hain To Kya Gum Hai. The song is a copy of the instrumental ‘Return to the Alamo’ by the band The Shadows.2 In the early 80’s Udit also collaborated with Laxmikant Pyarelal for playback singing in movies like Hum, Saudagar, Prem Deewane, Aashiq Awara, Dil Hai Betaab, Trimurti, Deewana Mastana, among others.

His Hit Movie as an Actor

In 1985, Udit Narayan played the lead role in the Nepali movie Kusume Rumal (Pink Handkerchief). In the movie, he also sang the title track with Deepa Jha. The blockbuster movie was the first Nepali movie to spend 25 weeks in the top 10 list.

Collaboration with Music Directors

While working with music directors Anand- Milind, Udit and Alka Yagnik sang all the songs for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. With Anand –Milind, Udit sang for many films like Beta, Raja Babu, Hero No. 1, Aunty No.1, Dulhe Raja Pyaar Ki Jeet & Anjaam, among others.

By the late 1980’s he was collaborating with Nadeem–Shravan for singing in films like Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri, Phool Aur Kaante, Dilwale, Raja Hindustani, Aa Ab Laut Chalen, Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya, Kasoor, Andaaz, Hungama, Footpath, Bewafaa, and Dosti: Friends Forever.

Later on, Udit worked with music director Anu Malik in playback singing for movies like Yaar Gaddar, Mr and Mrs. Khiladi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Ishq, Refugee, Fiza, Badal and so on. Udit also started working with Jatin- Lalit just as they were making their debut as music directors in 1991. With them, he collaborated for films like Khiladi, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Albela, Hum Tum, amongst others. With music director Himesh Reshammiya, he also sang for films like Aamdani Athani Kharcha Rupaiyaa, Humraaz, Tere Naam, Ishq Hai Tumse, Run, Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa etc. Although Udit has worked with most music directors, his songs in films Rangeela, Lagaan, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Kadhalan, One 2 Ka 4, and Taal under music director AR Rahman brought him much fame. His song Taal Se Taal Mila from the movie Taal was voted as the ‘Best Song of the Century’ in a poll conducted by DesiMartini, Hindustan Times and Fever 104 on the occasion of 100 Years of Hindi Cinema.

Trivia

Udit Narayan has sung with Madhushree for the English independent film When Harry Tries to Marry in 2010.

On the question of whether he was an Indian or Nepali citizen, he says people were out to malign him and say he is not an Indian and therefore did not deserve the government recognition (the Padma Shri). He says the reports that he was born in Nepal were false and claims that he was born in a village called Baisi on the Supaul district of Bihar in 1955 at his maternal grandparents’ home.