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Everyone associated with QSQT was new and wanted to prove themselves. He introduced me to his sons, Anand and Milind, and recommended me to them.” They all got their moment of glory with the phenomenal hit Qaymat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT, 1988), produced by Nasir Hussain and directed by son, Mansoor Khan.
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Chitraguptji liked my voice and gave me a chance to sing in Bhojpuri films. He was friends with musician Chitragupt, Anand-Milind’s father. He says the birth of his son Aditya ( Narayan) in 1987 changed his fortunes. Udit struggled in Mumbai for 10 years before landing his first big break in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). Today, sometimes, you don’t even get to hear the other singer’s part because that hasn’t been recorded as yet.” Duets were fun because you latched on to your co-singer’s response right then. It gave you a high to be among such people. “You were singing with the best musicians who prided themselves over their dexterity. He misses the camaraderie and the rush equated with the creative process. Songs were recorded live those days with the singers and musicians using their skills in sync with each other. He saw my nervousness and told me to give my best shot.” I couldn’t believe that I would be singing with Mohammed Rafi saab. I got the message just in the nick of time.
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“Rajesh Roshan called up all my known haunts and asked them to convey the message that I should reach his studios immediately. The singer says he didn’t even have a phone back then. His co-singers were Mohammed Rafi and Usha Mangeshkar. He finally got a break with the film Unees Bees (1980), in which he sang the song Mil gaya under Rajesh Roshan’s baton. To make ends meet, he started singing at hotels. Most singers begin their careers by singing in the chorus. To save money, he used to walk some 10-15 kilometres each day and visit the various music rooms and recording studios near Girgaum in a bid to get work. Eventually, they relented and I started learning classical music at Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan at Girgaum under Pandit Dinkar Kaikini.” “They tried to talk me out of it, saying Mumbai was expensive and the scholarship wouldn’t suffice. But he had grown up listening to Indian stalwarts like Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar and expressed his desire to go to Mumbai, as these singers were based there. He said a scholarship could also be arranged if I was interested.” Udit was given an option of either opting to learn in Lucknow, which was closer to Nepal or Baroda. “I was asked to perform at a cultural evening held at the Indian consulate where this gentleman advised me to learn Indian classical. He recollects how an official in the Indian consulate was instrumental in him journeying to Mumbai.
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He started singing for the Kathmandu Radio by the time he was a teenager. Slowly, from singing for 25 paise at village fairs, he made a name in the cultural corridors of Nepal. His mother Bhuvneshwari Devi was known for her folk singing and young Udit imbibed that. It has given me everything and this award is an icing on the cake.” Udit grew up listening to Nepalese and Maithali folk songs. “I’ve been in the Indian film industry for close to 40 years now,” says Udit, who’s originally from Nepal. He recently received the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian films and he can’t stop grinning from ear-to-ear. Udit Narayan Jha is no stranger to awards.