Kedarnath Bhattacharya (born 20 October 1957), known professionally as Kumar Sanu, is an Indian playback singer. He has primarily worked in Hindi cinema during the 1990s.[6] Sanu holds the record for winning the Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for five consecutive years from 1990 to 1995. In 1993, he recorded 28 songs in a single day, a feat recognized by the Guinness World Records.[7] In addition to Hindi, he has sung in several other languages including Bengali, Marathi, and Tamil. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2009 for his contributions to music.[8]
Kumar Sanu's first marriage was to Rita Bhattacharya in the 1980s.[12] The couple had three children: Jiko, Jassi, and Jaan Kumar Sanu.[13] They divorced in 1994. During their marriage, Kumar Sanu had entered a six-year relationship with actress Kunickaa Sadanand.[14][15]
After separating from Kunickaa Sadanand, Kumar Sanu married Saloni Bhattacharya. They have two daughters: Shannon K, a singer[16] and Annabelle Kumar Sanu, a songwriter and author.[17][18]
Kumar Sanu began his career in 1983 under his birth name, Kedarnath Bhattacharya. His first credited playback song was for the 1984 film Yeh Desh, followed by work on the Bangladeshi filmTin Konya(1985). His first major break in Hindi cinema came with the song "Jashn Hai Mohabbat Ka" from Hero Hiralal (1988).
On 23 September 1989, singer Jagjit Singh introduced him to the composer Kalyanji. On their suggestion, he adopted the stage name "Kumar Sanu" as a tribute to his influence, Kishore Kumar. Subsequently, the composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji gave him his first major opportunity in the film Jaadugar (1989).
Sanu's rise to prominence came with the soundtrack for Aashiqui (1990), for which music directors Nadeem-Shravan had him sing nearly all the male solos. The film's success established him as a leading playback singer and earned him his first Filmfare Award. This began a streak of five consecutive Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer, which continued for his work in Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Baazigar (1993), and 1942: A Love Story (1994).
Other works
Kumar Sanu has released several albums of Kishore Kumar's songs, including Kishore Ki Yaadein, a collection of early songs in his career. This was followed by the Yaadein series, where he sang many of the songs of Kishore Kumar along with singers Abhijeet and Vinod Rathod.[19][20]
Kumar Sanu is a trustee and Brand Ambassador of Bishwa Bandhan.[23]
Kumar Sanu opened a primary school, Kumar Sanu Vidya Niketan,[24] for underprivileged children in Karol Bagh, Delhi. The students are given uniforms and books free of cost.[25]
In 2022, Kumar Sanu collaborated with music director Vaibhav Saxena and two emerging singers for "Mohabbat Mein Tere Sanam" which was released and distributed worldwide by new-age Record Label Music Records.[26]
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