Suresh Ishwar Wadkar (born 7 August 1955) is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both

Hindi Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

and Marathi films. He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films, Odia albums and bhajans and in Konkani films. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2018 for Sugam Sangeet. In 2020, the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

honoured him with the

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

Early life and musical training

Wadkar was born in

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is ...

in a middle-class family that soon moved to

Girangaon Girangaon (literally "mill village") was a name of an area now part of central Mumbai, India, which at one time had almost 130 textile mills, with the majority being cotton mills. The mills of Girangaon contributed significantly to the prosperi ...

. His father Ishwar Wadkar worked in cloth mills and his mother cooked food for the mill workers. In youth, he wrestled at akhadas and frequented the Talwalkar gym with his father, who was also a wrestler. In 1968, when Wadkar was 13, Jialal Vasant encouraged him to work towards the "Prabhakar" certificate offered by the Prayag Sangit Samiti, because it was equivalent to a BEd and qualifies the awardee to teach professionally. Wadkar successfully completed his "Prabhakar" and joined Arya Vidya Mandir in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

as a music teacher.

Singing career

Though groomed for Indian classical music, Wadkar entered the Sur-Singar competition in 1976. He won the competition which was judged by composers from the Indian film industry including

Jaidev Jaidev (3 August 1918 – 6 January 1987; born Jaidev Verma) was a music composer in Hindi films, most known for his work in films: '' Hum Dono'' (1961), '' Reshma Aur Shera'' (1971), ''Prem Parbat'' (1973), ''Gharaonda'' (1977) and '' Gaman ...

and

Ravindra Jain Ravindra Jain (28 February 1944 – 9 October 2015) was an Indian music composer, lyricist and playback singer. He started his career in the early 1970s by composing for several hit movies. His notable works include '' Chor Machaye Shor'' (1 ...

. Ravindra Jain introduced him to the world of playback singing, and Wadkar sang Jain's composition ''Sona Kare Jhilmil Jhilmil Vrishti Pade Tapur Tupur'' in the film ''

Paheli ''Paheli'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language fantasy film. It is a remake of the 1973 Hindi movie ''Duvidha'' by Mani Kaul based on the short story written by Vijayadan Detha in Rajasthani. It was also reported to have been partially inspired ...

'' (1977). Jaidev also offered him the song "Seene Mein Jalan" in the film ''

Gaman Gaman ( hi, गमन, English:Departure) is a Hindi film released in 1978, starring Farooq Sheikh and Smita Patil in the lead roles and introducing Nana Patekar in a supporting role. It is the directorial debut of Muzaffar Ali, who went on to m ...

'' (1978). At the time,

Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her con ...

was so impressed with his voice that she strongly recommended him to film personalities including

Laxmikant–Pyarelal Laxmikant–Pyarelal were an Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Patil Kudalkar (1937–1998) and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (born 1940). He is known by the nickname “Pyromaniac” due to his flaming style of music. Laxmikan ...

Khayyam Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, ...

and Kalyanji-Anandji. Laxmikant-Pyarelal, impressed with his voice, soon recorded a duet with Lata, "Chal Chameli Bagh Mein" for '' Krodhi'' (1981). Soon after, he was given the opportunity to perform for songs in '' Hum Paanch'', '' Pyaasa Sawan'' ("Megha Re Megha Re") and above all, his turning point in films –

Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: �aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of th ...

's ''

Prem Rog ''Prem Rog'' () is a 1982 Hindi-language musical romantic drama directed by Raj Kapoor, with screenplay written by Jainendra Jain and Kamna Chandra. The film tells the story of a man's (Rishi Kapoor) love towards a woman, who is a higher sta ...

'' (1982). After that, Wadkar sang many songs under the R. K. Banner, and he often gave his voice for

Rishi Kapoor Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films. He was the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award. Born into t ...

in Heena,

Prem Granth Prem Granth ( Scripture of love) is an Indian Hindi-language film which was released in India on 22 May 1996. Directed by Rajiv Kapoor, the movie stars Rishi Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit and deals with the subject of rape. It serves as an adaptation ...

, Bol Radha Bol, Vijay and others. He also sang for

Rajiv Kapoor Rajiv Raj Kapoor (25 August 1962 9 February 2021) was an Indian actor, film producer, film director and a member of the Kapoor family, best known for his lead role in '' Ram Teri Ganga Maili''. He was the youngest son of Raj Kapoor, the legend ...

Ram Teri Ganga Maili ''Ram Teri Ganga Maili'' () is a 1985 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Raj Kapoor. The film stars Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor in lead roles. Music director Ravindra Jain received a Filmfare Award for this film. The film ge ...

. Two of his most famous songs are "Tum Se Milke" from

Parinda ''Parinda'' () is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film directed, produced and distributed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film stars Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar and Madhuri Dixit. The story and scenario were written by Chopra, ...

(1989) and "Aye Zindagi Gale Laga Le" from Sadma (1983). Wadkar sang his first Tamil song in the 2009 film Kanden Kadhalai, an adaptation of the Hindi blockbuster

Jab We Met ''Jab We Met'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Dhilin Mehta under his banner Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. The film stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their f ...

. The song is a ghazal type song called "Naan Mozhi Arindhaen". He has sung numerous devotional songs in various Indian languages for many denominations including many

Vaishnav Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

and

Shaivite Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...

sampradayas such as the

Swaminarayan Sampradaya The Swaminarayan Sampradaya, also known as Swaminarayan Hinduism and Swaminarayan movement, is a Hindu Vaishnava sampradaya rooted in Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita, characterized by the worship of its charismatic founder Sahajanand Swami, ...

. In 1996, Wadkar sang Channeache Rati among several other songs in Rajendra Talak's Konkani album ''Daryachya Deger'' with

Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in th ...

Marathi music career

Suresh Wadkar has worked with some of the top class Marathi music directors like Pt.

Hridaynath Mangeshkar Hridaynath Mangeshkar (Marathi pronunciation: �ɾud̪əjnaːt̪ʰ məŋɡeːʃkəɾ is an Indian music director. He is the only son of musician Deenanath Mangeshkar and younger brother of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. He is popularly kno ...

, Sudhir Phadke, Shrinivas Khale,

Shridhar Phadke Shridhar Phadke ( mr, श्रीधर फडके, born 9 September 1950) is a famous Marathi language music composer from Maharashtra, India. Early life Shridhar Phadke was born on 9 September 1950 in Mumbai. He is son of the famous Marathi ...

Vasant Desai Vasant Desai (1912–1975) was an Indian film music composer, most remembered for his score in V. Shantaram films like '' Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje'' (1955), '' Do Aankhen Barah Haath'' (1957), Vijay Bhatt's '' Goonj Uthi Shehnai'' (1959), ''Samp ...

Ashok Patki Ashok Patki (born 25 August 1941) is an Indian music director and composer; working predominantly in Marathi cinema, theatre and television. He is best known for his very popular compositions like "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara", "Purab Se Surya Uga". P ...

, Anil-Arun etc.

Other work

In 2002, Wadkar produced the film "Tanman.com". In 2003, he collaborated with arist Shivanand (Udayraj A. Gadnis) on ''Cosmic Raga Mandal'' project. He was a judge on the Indian TV singing show

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs, is a sub-series of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, it is a singing competition television series, which airs on Zee TV. Young children participate in this show and are judged on the basis of their voice quality, singing talent and ...

and at the 2005 Sangeet Awards. In 2022, he was the judge for Zee TV's devotional music reality show ''Swarna Swar Bharat'' along with Kumar Vishwas and Kailash Kher.

Music schools

Wadkar is the director of the ''Ajivasan(Acharya Jialal Vasant Sangeet NIkaetan) Music Academy'' in Mumbai He also has a training institute in and

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

area. He has also started an online music school, called SWAMA (Suresh Wadkar Ajivasan Music Academy), under Ace Open University.

Personal life

Wadkar is married to classical singer Padma and the couple has two daughters, Ananya and Jiya.

Awards

In 1976, Wadkar won the Madan Mohan Best Male Playback Singer Award at the Sur-Singar competition. He is also a recipient of the 2004 Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar instituted by

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

government. He also won the 2007 Maharashtra Pride Award which is given by the government of Maharashtra to citizens of note. He got awarded by Late Sadashiv Amarapurkar Award 2017 by Ahmednagar's Think Global Foundation. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2018 for ''Sugam Sangeet''. On January 25, 2020, his name was announced for Government of India's fourth highest civilian honour, the

, for his work in the field of arts.

National Film Awards

Wins

* 2010 – Best Male Playback Singer – "Hey Bhaskara Kshitijavari Ya" ('' Mee Sindhutai Sapkal'')''''

Filmfare Awards

He, along with KK, holds the record for most number of nominations for the

Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...

without even winning.

Nominations

* 1983 – Best Male Playback Singer – "Mein Hoon Prem Rogi" (''

'') * 1983 – Best Male Playback Singer – "Meri Kismat Tu" (''Prem Rog'') * 1986 – Best Male Playback Singer – "Main Hi Main Hoon" (''

'') * 1990 – Best Male Playback Singer – "Lagi Aaj Sawan Ki" ( ''Chandni'') * 1991 – Best Male Playback Singer – "O Priya Priya" ('' Dil'') * 1997 – Best Male Playback Singer – "Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale" (shared with Hariharan) ('' Maachis'')

Collaborators

Suresh Wadkar has sung for a variety of composers in the Indian film industry. These include: * Shrinivas Khale ( Marathi) *

(Marathi) * Anil-Arun * Laxmikant Pyarelal * Kalyanji Anandji * R.D. Burman *

Ilayaraja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...

Bappi Lahiri Bappi Aparesh Lahiri (born Alokesh Aparesh Lahiri; 27 November 1952 – 15 February 2022), also known as Bappi Da was an Indian singer, composer and record producer. He popularised the use of synthesised disco music in Indian music industry and ...

* Khaiyyam *

Usha Khanna Usha Khanna (born 7 October 1941) is an Indian music director in Hindi cinema. She is the third female music director to enter the Hindi film industry, after Jaddan Bai and Saraswati Devi and is one of the most commercially successful music di ...

Arun Paudwal Arun Paudwal (died 1 November 1991) was a composer in Bollywood in India. He worked with music director S. D. Burman for some time. Biography Arun Paudwal's wife is the well known Bollywood singer Anuradha Paudwal. Their daughter Kavita Paudw ...

* A.R. Rahman * Vidyasagar * Nadeem-Shravan *

Vishal Bhardwaj Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. Bha ...

Rajesh Roshan Rajesh Roshan Lal Nagrath (born 24 May 1955) is an Indian Hindi cinema music director and composer. He is the son of music director Roshan and singer Ira Roshan. Personal life Rajesh Roshan has a Punjabi Hindu father and Bengali Brahmin m ...

Raamlaxman Vijay Patil (16 September 1942 – 22 May 2021) better known as Raamlaxman, was an Indian composer, pianist, musician and accordionist. Raamlaxman is most famous for his work with Rajshri Productions of Hindi films. He composed music for their ...

* Shiv-Hari *

Jatin–Lalit Jatin–Lalit are an Indian film music director duo consisting of Jatin Pandit and his brother Lalit Pandit. They have written the widely popular scores for films such as '' Yaara Dildara'', '' Khiladi'', ''Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar'', ''Kabhi Ha ...

Anand–Milind Anand and Milind Srivastava are a duo of Indian film music composers. Born to composer Chitragupt, they have composed music for over 200 Bollywood films. The brothers debuted in 1984 with ''Ab Ayega Mazaa'' and had their major breakthrough with ' ...

Anu Malik Anwar Sardar "Anu" Malik (born 2 November 1960) is an Indian music composer, singer, music arranger and score composer. He is an Indian National Award and Filmfare Award winning musician, who primarily composes music for the Hindi film indus ...

* Himesh Reshammiya *

Shanker Shanker is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Albert Shanker (1928–1997), president of the American Federation of Teachers * Ram Shanker (born 1985), Singaporean footballer * Sasi Shanker (1957–2016), Indian film director Se ...

* Ravi *

Chitragupta Chitragupta (Sanskrit: चित्रगुप्त, 'rich in secrets' or 'hidden picture') is a Hindu deity assigned with the task of keeping complete records of the actions of human beings and punishing or rewarding them according to their ...

Rajkamal Rajkamal is an Indian actor who has worked on Tamil films and television series. After making a breakthrough as an actor through television serials, he has worked on films including ''Sandikuthirai'' (2016) and ''Melnaattu Marumagan'' (2018). ...

* Mohinderjit Singh *

Brahma Kumaris The Brahma Kumaris are a spiritual movement that originated in Hyderabad, Sindh, during the 1930s.Kaushal Inamdar * Dr Swaroop Roy

Filmography

* '' Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai 2'' (2015) * '' Haider'' (2014) * '' Kahin Hai Mera Pyar'' (2014) * '' Yeh Khula Aasmaan'' (2012) * ''

7 Khoon Maaf ''7 Khoon Maaf'' (; read as "''Saat Khoon Maaf''"), released internationally as ''Seven Sins Forgiven'', is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language black comedy film directed, co-written and co-produced by Vishal Bhardwaj. The film stars Priyanka Chopra ...

'' (2011) * '' Kanden Kadhalai'' (2009) ( Tamil) * ''

Ghauttham ''Ghauttham'' is a 2009 Kannada romance film directed by K. Rajeev Prasad and starring Prem and Sarah in the lead roles with Kokila Mohan, Sudharani and Ananth Nag in other pivotal roles. The film is a remake of the Tamil family drama '' Aahaa ...

'' (2009) (

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

) * '' Kaminey'' (2009) * '' Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi'' (2008) * '' Omkara'' (2006) * '' Vivah'' (2006) * '' Bal Ganesh'' (2006) * '' Naam Gum Jaayega'' (2005) * '' Indra'' (2002) * '' Hu Tu Tu'' (1999) * ''

Sar Utha Ke Jiyo Sar Utha Ke Jiyo () is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Sikander Bharti, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Madhoo, Manek Bedi, Raza Murad, Kiran Kumar and Gulshan Grover. Cast *Naseeruddin Shah as Inspector Vijay Khanna * Madho ...

'' (1998) * '' Satya'' (1998) * '' Lahoo Ke Do Rang'' (1997) * '' Bhai'' (1997) * '' Maachis'' (1996) * '' Muqaddar'' (1996) * ''

'' (1996) * '' Rangeela'' (1995) * '' Ghatak'' (1995) * '' Udhaar Ki Zindagi'' (1994) * '' Aaina'' (1993) * '' In Custody'' (1993) * ''

Lootere ''Lootere'' (Translation: ''Robbers'') is a 1993 Bollywood action movie, written and directed by Dharmesh Darshan and produced by Suneel Darshan. The film featured Sunny Deol and Juhi Chawla, along with Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher and Chun ...

'' (1993) * '' Kayda Kanoon'' (1993) * '' Sangeet'' (1992) * '' Parampara'' (1992) * '' Dil Aashna Hai'' (1992) * '' Ghar Jamai'' (1992) * '' Vansh'' (1992) * ''

Thalapathi ''Thalapathi'' () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language gangster drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, and produced by G. Venkateswaran. The film stars Rajinikanth and Mammootty with Arvind Swamy in his feature-film debut, Jaishankar, Amr ...

'' (1991) * '' Lamhe'' (1991) * '' Lekin...'' (1991) * '' Henna'' (1991) * '' Kurbaan'' (1991) * ''

Aaj Ka Samson ''Aaj Ka Samson'' is a 1991 Indian Hindi-language romance drama film directed by Kukoo Kapoor, starring Hemant Birje, Sahila Chadha, Goga Kapoor and Puneet Issar. It is modern reworking of the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah. Plot This is t ...

'' (1991) * ''

Patthar Ke Phool ''Patthar Ke Phool'' () is an Indian 1991 Hindi-language action film directed by Anant Balani, produced by G. P. Sippy, written by Salim Khan, and edited by Deepak Sehgal. It stars Salman Khan as a police officer opposite debutant Raveena Tan ...

'' (1991) * ''The Blow'' (1991) * ''

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

'' (1990) * '' Dil'' (1990) * '' Maha-Sangram'' (1990) * ''

'' (1989) * ''

Bhrashtachar ''Bhrashtachar'' () is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by G.P.Sippy, starring Mithun Chakraborty, Rekha, Anupam Kher, Raza Murad and Abhinav Chaturvedi, with Rajinikanth in a special appearance. and intr ...

'' (1989) * '' Toofan'' (1989) * '' Purani Haveli'' (1989) * '' Chandni'' (1989) * ''

Hero Hiralal ''Hero Hiralal'' is a 1988 Indian film directed by Ketan Mehta, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Sanjana Kapoor in leading roles. It is a movie about an auto rickshaw driver who falls in love with a film actress. The movie showcased performances b ...

'' (1988) * '' Waaris'' (1988) * ''

'' (1988) * '' Libaas'' (1988) * '' Thikana'' (1987) * '' Hifazat'' (1987) directed by Prayag Raj * '' Imaandaar'' (1987) * '' Saveray Wali Gaadi'' (1986) * ''

'' (1985) * ''Lallu Ram'' (1985) * "Bihari Babu" (1985) * '' Utsav'' (1984) * '' Sadma'' (1983) * '' Masoom'' (1983) * ''

Disco Dancer ''Disco Dancer'' is a 1982 Indian dance film, written by Rahi Masoom Raza and directed by Babbar Subhash. It stars Mithun Chakraborty and Kim in leading roles, with Om Puri, Gita Siddharth and Karan Razdan in supporting roles with Rajesh K ...

'' (1982) * ''

'' (1982) * '' Maine Jeena Seekh Liya'' (1982) (first Hindi movie music composition by Nadeem-Shravan) * '' Pyaasa Sawan (1981) * '' Hum Paanch'' (1980) * ''

'' (1978) * ''

'' (1977) Devotional * ''Omkar Swarupa'' * ''Jai Shri Swaminarayan'' * ''Sai Tum Yaad Aye'' * ''Sai Naam Ek Rang Anek'' * ''Sampoorana Geeta-Hindi'' * ''Shiva Chalisa'' * ''Gururaya Aathvito Tujhiye Paaya'' * ''Om Namah Shivaya Mantra'' * ''Namo Namaha He Pramukh Swami'' * ''Koti Koti Vandan Kariye'' * ''Swaminarayan Charan Kamalama'' * ''Parabrahma Tame He Purushottam''

References

External links

Ajivasan Music Academy
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wadkar, Suresh Living people 1955 births Indian film score composers Indian male film score composers Indian male playback singers Indian television presenters Indian Hindus Performers of Hindu music Bollywood playback singers Marathi playback singers Marathi-language singers Konkani-language singers Bhojpuri playback singers Odia playback singers Tamil playback singers Musicians from Mumbai Singers from Mumbai Film producers from Mumbai People from Kolhapur Best Male Playback Singer National Film Award winners Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts