The 'singer' Udit Narayan is world-renowned. But not many know that the legendary singer is also an actor.
It's Udit Narayan we are talking about, and of course, auto-tune has left the chat. Born on December 1, 1955, the legendary singer has a voice that totally defines the term 'mellifluous'. And his songs hit the right spot in our hearts, taking us to a different world altogether.
Udit Narayan’s first recording for a Bollywood song
The singer got his breakthrough in 1988 with the song "Papa Kehte Hain" ('Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak') which not only earned him his first Filmfare Award but also established himself in the industry. Thereafter, throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he reigned supreme as one of B-town's most successful playback singers of all time. He has sung for almost all the leading actors of his time, including Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar. And it's not just Bollywood, as he has worked in various other languages as well, such as Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Assamese, and Maithili.
B’day wishes to UDIT NARAYAN.
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) December 1, 2019
Born in Bhardaha, Nepal; he debuted as playback singer in ‘Unees Bees’
He Won the first award for song “Papa Kehte Hain”. pic.twitter.com/LqG4qZi1BK
(Credit: Film History Pics)
Well, Udit Narayan – although currently not as active in the industry as we want him to be - is an emotion for music lovers, especially for those who grew up during the 90s. However, not many know that he is also an actor with a highly successful film to his credit. And interestingly, it's not any Indian film. Today, on Narayan's 69th birthday, let's learn about that in this article.
Udit Narayan (born and brought up in India) is originally from Nepal. In fact, after completing his high school in Bihar, he obtained his intermediate degree from Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Campus of Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Before moving to Mumbai and establishing himself as a Bollywood playback singer, Narayan worked in the Nepali film industry for quite some time. And in 1985, he made his acting debut with the Nepali romantic film, 'Kusume Rumal', which turned out to be a massive critical and commercial success. Besides playing a pivotal role, he also sang all the songs in the film, several of which became chartbusters.
Notably, he later acted in another Nepali film, titled 'Pirati'. However, it wasn't as successful as 'Kusume Rumal'.
'Kusume Rumal' is a romantic film written and directed by Tulsi Ghimire - widely regarded as one of Nepali cinema's greatest filmmakers. In the film, Narayan played the role of Amar who gets trapped in a triangular love story. Besides him, it also stars Bhuwan K.C., Tripti Nadakar, Neer Shah, and Biswa Hingmang among others.
Released in 1985, 'Kusume Rumal' received enormous critical acclaim, especially for its story, music, performances, and underlying themes. And it spent 25 weeks on the box office top ten list and emerged as a massive commercial success. With time, it became the highest-grossing Nepali film of all time, a record it held for 16 years until broken by Darpan Chaya (also directed by Tulsi Ghimire). Now, it's considered a classic among fans.
DYK -- #UditNarayan acted in two Nepali films in 1985 - Kusume Rumal & Pirati#KusumeRumal was the 1st Nepali movie to run for 25 weeks & is called the 1st blockbuster there
— Mimansa Shekhar (@mimansashekhar) December 1, 2023
UN played a student who romances his collegemate. He even sang all the songs
Here's an edited clip 👇 pic.twitter.com/FsB82yvVVW
(Credit: Mimansa Shekhar)
Notably, the film's music was a major hit as well. Narayan's songs such as "Kusume Rumal", "Timi Nabhaye", and "Suna Bhana Na" continue to be fan favorites.
Happy Birthday, Udit Narayan. Your Songs Provide Us Solace, Thank You!
