Sudhir Phadke (, 25 July 1919 – 29 July 2002) was an Indian singer- composer. He was regarded as an icon of the

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

film industry and Marathi ''Sugam Sangeet'' (light music) for five decades. Apart from Marathi, Phadke sang and composed songs in several

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

films as well. Phadke's nickname was Babuji.

Life

Sudhir Phadke 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 k ...

on 25 July 1919. His birth name was Ram Phadke, but he later changed his name to 'Sudhir' when he composed a song for HMV. Phadke acquired his primary tutelage in vocal classical music from the late Vamanrao Padhye in

. After beginning his career with HMV in 1941, he joined the

Prabhat Film Company Prabhat Film Company (popularly known as Prabhat Films) was an Indian film production company and film studios founded in 1929 by the noted film director V.Shantaram and his friends. It was formed in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India in 1929, towar ...

as music director in 1946. During his long career, he composed music for many Marathi and Hindi films. He was also an immaculate playback singer. Phadke married his fellow singer Lalita Deulkar. Their son Shridhar Phadke (born 1950) is also a composer and singer. '' Geet Ramayana'', based on poet G D Madgulkar's verses, is one of Phadke's most popular works. The programme ran on

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All ...

for a year, 1955–56. Stage performances of the program continue to draw huge crowds even today. Phadke set to music all 56 songs, and they were sung by different singers for radio (

Manik Varma Manik Varma (16 May 1926 – 10 November 1996) was an Indian classical singer from the Kirana and Agra gharanas (singing styles). Career Besides the pure classical khyal, she also sang semi-classical and light music like thumri, Marathi ...

, lalita Deulkar,

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 ...

, Phadke himself, Vasantrao Deshpande, Ram Phatak, Usha Atre). All 56 songs were also recorded in Phadke's own voice. In his last days of life, Phadke was involved in producing a Hindi film on the life of the Indian

freedom fighter A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (), Marathi pronunciation: �inaːjək saːʋəɾkəɾ also commonly known as Veer Savarkar (28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966), was an Indian politician, activist, and writer. Savarkar developed the Hindu nationa ...

. The movie

Veer Savarkar Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (), Marathi pronunciation: �inaːjək saːʋəɾkəɾ also commonly known as Veer Savarkar (28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966), was an Indian politician, activist, and writer. Savarkar developed the Hindu nation ...

was funded by public donations. Sudhir Phadke last sang and composed music for this movie. He was also actively involved with Goa Freedom Movement and in post freedom fight of India. Phadke was connected with

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ; , , ) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar (Hindi for "Sangh family ...

for over 60 years. He was the main inspiration and founder member of India Heritage Foundation in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Filmography

As a composer

''(Partial filmography)'' # ''Gokul'' (1946) # ''Rukmini Swayamvar'' (1946) # '' Aage Badho'' (1947) # ''Sita Swayamwar'' (1948) # ''Jivacha sakha'' (1948) # ''Sita Swayanwar'' (1948) # ''Vande Mataram'' (1948) # '' Aparadhi'' (1949) # ''Bheem'' (1949) # ''Maya Baazar'' (1949) # ''Ram Pratiggya'' (1949) # ''Sant Janabai'' (1949) # ''Shri Krishna Darshan'' (1950) # ''Johar Maibap'' (1950) # ''Pudhacha Paul'' (1950) # ''Vanshacha Diva'' (1950) # ''Jashas Tase'' (1951) # ''Vithal Rakhmai'' (1951) # ''Maalti Madhav'' (1951) # ''Murli Wala'' (1951) # ''Lakhaci Goshta'' (1952) # ''May Bahini'' (1952) # ''Narveer Tanaji'' (1952) # ''Pratapgad'' (1952) # ''Bolvita dhani'' (1953) # ''Kon Kunacha'' (1953) # ''Kuberacha Dhan'' (1953) # ''Soubhagya'' (1953) # ''Vahininchya bangadya''(1953) # ''Pehli Taarikh''(1954) # ''Ratna Ghar''(1954) # ''In meen sade teen''(1954) # ''Maharani Yesubai''(1954) # ''Un paus'' (1954) # ''Owalni'' (1954) # ''Postatil mulgi''(1954) # ''Rashmachya Gathi'' (1954) # '' Shevagyachya Shenga'' (1955) # ''Ganget ghoda nhala''(1955) # ''Mi tulas tuzhya angani''(1955) # ''Devghar'' (1956) # ''Sajni'' (1956) # ''Andhala magato ek dola'' (1956) # ''Maza ghar mazi manasa''(1956) # ''Devagharcha lena'' (1957) # ''Gharcha zala thoda''(1957) # ''Utavala narad''(1957) # ''Gaj Gauri'' (1958) # ''Gokul Ka Chor'' (1959) # ''Jagachya pathiwar''(1960) # ''Lagnala jato mi''(1960) # ''Umaj padel tar'' (1960) # ''Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan'' (1961) # ''Adhi kalas mag paya''(1961) # ''Kalanka Shobha''(1961) # ''Mazi Aai'' (1961) # ''Nirupama ani parirani''(1961) # ''Prapancha''(1961) # ''Suwasini''(1961) # ''Pyar Ki Jeet'' (1962) # ''Bhintila kaan astat''(1962) # ''Char divas sasuche char divas suneche''(1962) # ''Chimnyanchi shala''(1962) # ''Gariba gharachi lek''(1962) # ''Soniyachi paule''(1962) # ''Bayko maheri jate''(1963) # ''Ha maza marga ekla''(1963) # ''Te maze ghar''(1963) # ''Devacha khel'' (1964) # ''Gurukilli''(1966) # ''Sant gora kumbhar''(1967) # ''Ekati'' (1968) # ''Aamhi jaato amuchchya gaava''(1968) # ''Aadhar'' (1969) # ''Dev manus'' (1970) # ''Dhakti bahin''(1970) # ''Mumbaicha jawai'' (Marathi original of

Basu Chatterjee Basu Chatterjee ( bn, বাসু চ্যাটার্জ্জী; 10 January 1927 – 4 June 2020) was an Indian film director and screenwriter. Through the 1970s and 1980s, Chatterjee became associated with what came to be known as mi ...

Hindi language 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 bee ...

film ''Piya ka ghar'')(1970) # ''Zala mahar pandharinath'' (1970) # ''Daraar'' (1971 film) # ''Bajiraocha beta ''(1971) # ''Zep ''(1971) # ''Lakhat ashi dekhani ''(1971) # ''Mi hi manus ahe''(1971) # '' Anolkhi''(1973) # ''Javai vikat ghene ahe ''(1973) # ''Kartiki''(1974) # ''Jyotibacha navas (1975)'' # ''Ya sukhano ya ''(1975) # ''Aram haram ahe ''(1976) # ''Chandra hota sakshila ''(1978) # ''Dost asava tar asa''(1978) # ''Sher Shivaji'' (1981) # ''Devghar Mar'' (1981) # ''Aplech dat amplech oth ''(1982) # ''Thorali Jau''(1983) # ''Chorachya manat chandane ''(1984) # ''Maherchi manasa ''(1984) # ''Dhakti soon ''(1986) # ''Pudhacha paul ''(1986) # ''Sher Shivaji'' (1987) # ''Reshim gathi ''(1988) # ''

'' (Hindi) (2001)

Popular songs

Geet Ramayan ( mr, गीत रामायण )

Composed and renditioned ' Geet Ramayan', 56 songs written by Madgulkar. Geet Ramayan, collection of songs is summary of Indian epic of Ramayana in chronological sequence. The first of Geet Ramayan by Sudhir Phadke was broadcast by All India Radio Pune on Friday 1 April 1955 on the day of Raam Navami (celebration of the birth of Lord Rama). From 1 April 1955 for 56 weeks, every Sunday a new song of Geet Ramayana was broadcast. It was one of the most popular programs of that time. Geet Ramayan has been translated in 9 Indian languages

Assamese Assamese may refer to: * Assamese people, a socio-ethnolinguistic identity of north-eastern India * People of Assam, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious people of Assam * Assamese language, one of the easternmost Indo-Aryan language ...

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the ...

, English,

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 ...

, Konkani, Sindhi,

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

and Oriya.

As a composer

* ''Jyoti kalash chalke'' ('' Bhabhi ki Chudiyan''), a song based on Raga Bhupali sung by

* "Pehli Tarikh", sung by Kishor Kumar the song is till date played on Radio Ceylon-Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation on 1st of every month. * ''Maratha Sphurti Geet'' the regimental song of

Maratha Light Infantry The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It traces its lineage to the Bombay Sepoys, raised in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment in the Indian Army. The class composition of the regiment ...

, was composed and arranged for the military band by Sudhir Phadke. The lyrics were written by

G. D. Madgulkar Gajānan Digambar Mādguḷkar (1 October 1919 – 14 December 1977) was a Marāthi poet, lyricist, writer and actor from India. He is popularly known in his home state of Mahārāshtra by just his initials as Ga Di Mā (गदिमा). He wa ...

. * ''Chahiye Ashish Madhav'' a homage to Second Sarsanghchalak Shri M S Golwalkar of the RSS. Other major creations of Phadke include: Ashi pakhare yeti, Dev devharyat nahi, Daav mandun mandun modu nako, Vikat ghetla shyam, Tujhe geet ganyasathi sur labhu de, Toch chandrama nabhaat.

Awards

Phadke won numerous awards, including: *

National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of severa ...

at 11th National Film Awards (1963) for ''Ha Majha Marg Ekla''. *

Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and ...

Award in 1991 * ''Sahyadri Swara Ratna Puraskar'' in April 2002, an award presented by DD Sahyadri

Death

He died in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

on 29 July 2002 at 10.30 AM after suffering a brain

haemorrhage Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...

. His body was kept at

Memorial at

Dadar Dadar ( ̪aːd̪əɾ is a densely populated residential and shopping neighbourhood in Mumbai. It is also a prominent railway and bus service hub with local and national connectivity. Dadar holds the distinction of being Mumbai’s first plann ...

in central Mumbai, where many admirers came to pay their last tributes. A Flyover which goes over the railway line and

Dahisar Dahisar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪əɦisəɾ is the northernmost neighborhood (and railway station) of Mumbai. Dahisar is the first locality of Mumbai from the north. The suburb is a very cosmopolitan suburb, which has a large Gujarati popul ...

river in the Mumbai suburb between

Borivali Borivali (Pronunciation: oːɾiʋəliː is a suburb and is located at the north-western end of Mumbai and has a large Gujarati population followed by others. Traditionally the tribals and East Indians lived in Borivali. The attractions incl ...

and

connecting east and west was named after him. Bhandup Village Road in Mumbai suburb of Bhandup (West) was renamed as Sangeetkar Sudhir Phadke Marg by BMC.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phadke, Sudhir 1919 births 2002 deaths Indian film score composers Indian male playback singers Marathi people People from Kolhapur Recipients of the Rashtrapati Award Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Marathi-language singers Musicians from Maharashtra Marathi playback singers Goa liberation activists 20th-century Indian singers Indian male film score composers 20th-century Indian male singers